When the heartache is over.
by Lil Lily
Summary: Rated pG13 to be safe!!! Anyways I know my title is crappy so if you guys have any suggestions I'd love to hear them cos im cluless!!! so this is my favourite of all the stories Ive written and I hope you guys like it. R/R and I'll love ya forever!!! L/J
1. Default Chapter

Author's note: Hey peeps! Ok I think this is sorta different from a lot of the other Lily/James fictions. At least I hope it is. I tried to make it sort of different. Anyway I like it and I like writing it so I'm continuing it no matter what you guys think (PLEASE like it! Please, please do!) And by the way I don't want any Texan people to take offence at what I've written about it. I don't have a clue about Texas. I just wanted to have Lily go to a school like the one I've described. So NO OFFENCE!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Ok Phoebe is mine, Tara is mine, Alyson is mine, Shannon is, Mena is, Kaye is, basically anyone you don't recognize. Oh yea and the plot is mine!!!! Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling!   
  
  
A pretty, though unaccustomed, blonde girl poked her head around the doorway of the train compartment in which Phoebe Hannigan, Alyson Lyonne and Tara Levy were comfortably positioned.   
  
"Hi guys," she spoke in her slight Southern drawl.   
  
"Hey Shannon," answered the three girls, obediently.   
  
"Have any of ye' seen Jamsie around?" she asked hopefully. All three girls pointed to the next compartment, smiling, as the slightly younger girl hurried towards the door they were pointing to.   
  
"James, hun, are you in here?" Shannon hollered, as she slid the door open.   
  
"Yea, Shan, come on in," came James' relaxed voice. Shannon scooted in, shutting the door behind her, firmly.  
  
James Potter had been dating his girlfriend, Shannon Reid, for almost three years straight. Ever since his second year (her first year) at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry they had been mad about each other. Totally head over heels for each other. So serious were they, in fact, that James was convinced that she was The one. The one he would spend the rest of his life with.   
Shannon was quite attractive with golden blond hair shaped into a shortish choppy style, dark, but emotional, blue eyes, an all-year-round tawny colour on her skin, a charming smile which showed off her perfect (due to three years of braces when she was younger!) white teeth and a sylphlike figure.   
She had confidence that rivaled Christina Aguilera's or Britney Spears' and could be slightly whiny at times. She was smiley and perky and occasionally resembled a cheesy American cheerleader. But all in all Shannon was a sweet girl and was adored and cherished by James.   
  
"How was you're summer?" James asked his girlfriend, kissing her gently on the nose. Shannon sighed and for a brief moment was transformed to a melancholy and dejected version of herself.   
  
"It was utter hell," she replied. "We were parceled from Mum to Dad every other week, (her parents had recently gotten a divorce) Zoë was sulking almost every other hour and Cara was being deliberately bratty and annoying. Then on top of all that we went to Disney World for three days with Mum. Cara was so excited that she puked up her ice cream all over my new shoes and the whole thing was so sunny and relentlessly cheery. Even for me." Shannon sighed dramatically and closed her eyes.   
  
"Poor baby," James said, fitting his arm around her slender body. "But you're here with me now and that's all that matters," he said, leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips. Shannon's sunny smile re-appeared.   
  
"True," she said.   
  
"I have a feeling this is going to be a great year," James predicted.   
  
"I agree," Shannon said, sleepily, snuggling into his chest. "My cousin is transferring from America this year. She'll be in you're year."  
  
"That's cool," James said. "What's her name?" Shannon yawned.   
  
"Lily. Lily Evans."   
  
Sirius Black whistled. "Who's the new girl?" he asked, gaping at a girl at the top of the sorting queue. James squinted to see her but could barely make her out.   
  
"Oh yea," he said. "It could be Shannon's cousin. Her name's Lily something, I think," James said, searching the room for Shannon. He spotted her sitting at the Ravenclaw table and waved at her.   
  
"Well let's hope she's sorted into Gryfinndor then," Sirius said, still gazing at her. "Cos she is a major babe!"   
  
"Who?" asked Remus Lupin, coming up behind his friends along with Peter Pettigrew, the forth and final member of their group.   
  
"New girl," Sirius replied, pointing. Remus' reaction was much like Sirius'.   
  
"Whoa," he said. "She is totally hot! Where did she come from?" No one answered.   
  
"Prongs?" Sirius prompted, elbowing him, sharply, in the ribs. James, who had been busy making kissy faces at Shannon, jerked back to the real world.   
  
"Oh, America I think," he said.   
  
"Prongs, you'll have to arrange an introduction. She's about the hottest thing walking this planet at this very moment," he said, gasping for breath.   
  
"I can't see a damn thing with these bloody things," James said, exasperatedly, taking off his glasses.   
  
"You don't know WHAT you're missing, Prongs, buddy," Peter joined in.   
  
"She can't be that gorgeous," James said, repairing his glasses with a spell. "Yes she can!" he gasped, slipping his glasses back on and taking a long look at his girlfriend's cousin.   
  
Lily was, indeed, fabulous looking. Her hair was long, red and a mass of layered waves. Her emerald green eyes were passionate, sentimental, sensitive, excitable, temperamental and melodramatic all at once and seemed to be physically possible to drown in. Her skin was a snowy white colour and her smile was becoming and alluring and was quite possibly used to make admirers go weak at the knees. She was tall and fashionably slender, well built and with curves in all the right places. All in all Lily Evans was stunning and quite impossible to fit any one word.   
  
"Jesus bloody Christ," Sirius said, breathing, raggedly. "Would you ever guess that she was related to Shannon?" he asked. "They're nothing alike. I mean she's so yummy and Shannon's, well, not really."   
  
"I think Shannon's yummy," argued James, childishly.   
  
"Sure she's cute," Sirius said, absently. "But her cousin is a bloody fine thing!" Sirius said.   
  
"You're not the only one who thinks so," James commented, nodding towards the entire male population of Hogwarts, who were drooling at the sight of this mysterious new girl, including the Slytherins who were usually just plain nasty.   
  
"Attention students." Dumbledore's loud, clear voice magnified over the buzz of chatter flying around the great hall. "I see you've noticed our new student. Her name is Lily Evans and she has recently transferred from the U.S to join us. She is entering her sixth year and I think I speak for the whole school when I say we are extremely glad to have you here Ms. Evans. Now if you would step up to the stool please." Lily walked up gracefully and sat down, slipping the hat over her head as she did so, well aware that she was the center of attention. She must have been sitting on the stool for almost a full ten minutes (her admirers all sitting up, eagerly, in their seats, breathlessly, waiting for her destination) before the hat came to its decision.   
  
"Gryfinndor," it shouted. The table to the left exploded in cheers and wolf whistles. The Slytherins slumped into their seats, dispirited. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs clapped, apathetically, glad that the new attractive girl hadn't been placed in Slytherin but depressed that the hat had chosen Gryfinndor instead of their house.  
  
Lily stood in front of her trunk, unpacking various bits, when the three other occupants of the dorm returned, gossiping and yakking.   
  
"Hi," Lily greeted them, flashing a smile. "I'm . . ."  
  
"We know, we know Lily Evans," interrupted one of them. She smiled and stuck out her hand. "I'm Tara Levy and I think everyone knows YOU'RE name already. I mean the boys have you labeled as "hotter than Marie Ellis Ammons" ( A/N We'll just say she's a model, k?) and the girls already think you're going to be the school slut within three days." She shrugged. Lily laughed, a light tinkling laugh.   
  
"God, I didn't think the English jumped to such extravagant and fantastical conclusions before even meeting someone," Lily said in her soft accent.   
  
"We didn't," said a second girl, pointing at the three of them and holding out her other hand. "I'm Alyson Lyonne by the way."   
  
"Phoebe Hannigan," the third girl said, cheerfully, curtsying mockingly. Lily laughed again. She took a good look at the three girls in front of her. The first girl (Tara) wasn't exactly breath taking although she was pretty in a cute, girly kind of way. She was willowy with chestnut brown hair, the straightest Lily had ever seen. She had a peaches and cream complexion with a fair sprinkling of freckles on her face. Her eyes were truly the highlight of her face. Big and responsive they didn't seem to stay the same colour for very long. One minute they were pale blue, the next they were greeny-blue like the ocean and the next again they were dark and stormy. Pretty but of no beauty was how a stranger would have described her.   
  
Phoebe was almost the complete opposite. She was very petite, fragile and very, very small. Her 6inch heels gave her some height but her friends still virtually towered over her. Her, just-over-shoulder-length hair was bleached blond and swung in a high ponytail. Her eyes were pale, pale blue and exceedingly unexpressive, as if unwilling to give away any vital information about their owner. Her skin was also very pale, chalky almost and her mouth curved into an illustrious smile. She was almost glamorous looking and would certainly have been had she been any bit taller.   
  
Alyson held a mysterious aura around her and looked almost vampish. Her straight black hair flowed almost to her waist like a waterfall, glinting almost blue when it caught the light. She was tall and skinny, almost unnaturally so. Her skin was eerily pale, with the obvious help of her make-up supplies. Her eyes were dark, almost black, and smoky looking. In fact there was very little colour about her at all. Her clothes were all dark shades of black, navy and grey. Even her lips had been toned down with the help of a dark, raisin coloured lipstick.   
  
"It's great to meet all of you," Lily said, smiling obscurely. "Is the school any good?" she asked, with distinguished politeness.   
  
"It's bloody brilliant," Phoebe answered. "Well as brilliant as any school can be. Food's good, teachers are tolerable give or take a few, classes are pretty boring but what can you expect? The boys are passable although they could be better." The small girl shrugged and kicked off her heels. "That's basically it." Lily nodded, attentively.   
  
"I guess I'll just have to get used to it," she said, precariously.   
  
"What's to get used to?" Tara asked, candidly. "All school's are the same, right?" She kicked her trunk open and gave a full view of the contents, which all seemed to have been thrown in, haphazardly.   
  
"Depends," Lily said, yawning. "I went to school in Texas," she expressed. The three girls winced. "I expect it'll be, er, moderately different here," Lily said, grinning as the other three looked at her in disbelief.   
  
"You went to school in Texas?" Alyson asked the second Lily had stopped talking. Lily nodded, serenely. "How the hell did you stand it?" she demanded.   
  
"How did I stand it?" Lily echoed, disbelievingly. "It was bloody fantastic." Her eyes sparkled and for the rest of the night Alyson, Tara and Phoebe were entertained with amusing stories of the Texan school she had attended. 


	2. Default chapter

Author's note: I REALLY hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it! So what do you think? REVIEW and let me know. I thrive on reviews. I think I could actually live on them!  
  
Disclaimer: As you know characters like Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, etc belong to J.K. Rowling and as you also know characters you DON'T recognize like Phoebe, Tara, Alyson, Shannon, etc are mine. The plot is also mine but I don't know if that's a good thing or not. (That's basically another plea for reviews!)   
  
"Lily!" squealed Shannon, waving her cousin over.   
  
"Hey Shan!" exclaimed Lily, bounding over to her cousin. "It's great to see you. You look fabulous!" She hugged her cousin.   
  
"I look fabulous?" laughed Shannon. "Look at yourself." Lily smiled, consciously.   
  
Lily knew well she was pretty. This had absolutely nothing to do with conceit it was simple fact. It had nothing to do with her, since she had inherited her fair skin, emerald eyes and luscious golden/red hair from her mother who was still pretty and glamorous looking.  
  
"How's Darryl?" Shannon asked. Lily made a slight face.   
  
"We broke up," she told her cousin. "Ages ago actually. He was just a phase." Shannon also made a face.   
  
"Aw," she said. "I liked him. He was better than Juan anyway." The two cousins exchanged a knowing smile.   
  
"That's true," Lily said. "So how's, James, is that his name? Are you still together?" Shannon beamed.   
  
"Yea James Potter. Of course we're still together," she reprimanded, jokingly.  
  
"I can't wait to meet him," Lily said. "Finally," she added.   
  
"You'll love him," Shannon foresaw.   
  
"I hope so for his sake," Lily replied, laughing. "Listen I'd better go. The girls are waiting for me." She gestured towards her three new friends who were waiting by the great hall door. Shannon nodded, watching as Lily ran off. She had always been somewhat jealous of Lily. Lily had always had everything she could want. A perfect family, perfect looks, any boy she wanted and now she had become friends with three of the most popular girls in school after only being here for one day. Nevertheless, it was hard to be jealous of her cousin. They were so close and Lily was so friendly and caring towards her younger cousin.   
  
Shannon walked to her Potions class, arms linked in both of her best friends, Mena Jordan and Kaye Thomas, when James materialized in front of her. She kissed him flippantly on the cheek.   
  
"Hi," she said, softly, her eyes twinkling.   
  
"Hey," James replied. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come to Hogsmeade with us tonight?" "Us" was, no doubt, the Marauders and probably Phoebe, Alyson and Tara, which meant that Lily would also be there that night.   
  
"Sure," Shannon said. "I suppose Phoebe and them will be there?" James nodded slightly. "That's great. You can meet Lily. You haven't yet, have you?" she asked.   
  
"Not formally," James acknowledged. "Although Sirius is doing everything in his power to get an introduction. He's mad after her," James laughed. "I'll see you tonight then?" Shannon nodded and James sauntered away, waving.   
  
"Lily, you have to come tonight!" proclaimed Tara. "You'll love the lads! They're so sound!"  
  
"Especially Remus, eh Tars?" Alyson said, elbowing Phoebe, who was spluttering with laughter.   
  
"Ok, ok, I think he's cute, so what?" Tara said, a pinkish colour spreading across her face. "You're not one to talk, Phoebs," she accused. "You'd wouldn't say no to Sirius, would you?" she said. Phoebe shrugged and pulled on the heels she was never seen without.   
  
"Maybe I wouldn't," she said. "But it's not like he's interested. Lily would be more his type. I bet he was wriggling like a bitch in heat when he saw you, Lils." Phoebe, Alyson and Tara laughed, bitchily, as Lily smiled, decorously.   
  
"Anyway we'd better get going," Phoebe said. "It takes almost a half an hour to get to Hogsmeade and we don't want to be late now, do we?" Phoebe led the group, Lily trailing behind as the slipped behind a statue and made their way down a long, winding, muddy pathway. All four were gasping by the time they had reached the cellar of Honeydukes. By the time they had reached the shrieking shack (their, sort of, hang out) even more so. At the top of the hill was, Sirius, James, Remus, Peter and Shannon.   
  
"Fashionable late again, eh, Phoebs?" Sirius asked, grinning wickedly.   
  
"That's our story and we're sticking to it," Phoebe said, firmly. "So how are the Marauders?" she asked emphasizing Marauders, as gentle ribbing to the name of their group.   
  
"Good," Sirius answered for the group, ignoring her good-natured teasing. It was only now he caught sight of Lily, leaning against the fence, tediously. "She's even better looking up close," he said, eyeing her up. Lily turned to face him, impassively.  
  
"Why don't you keep you're perverted thoughts to yourself?" she asked. "As for undressing people with you're eyes, try to do it a little more subtly." She smiled sweetly at the flabbergasted young boy standing in front of her. Everyone burst into loud, disorderly laughter.   
  
"I presume you've never been rejected before?" Lily said confidently. "Pity." She shrugged. "Maybe if you had you wouldn't be such an ass," she suggested, brazenly. Phoebe sniggered behind her. Sirius definitely needed that!   
  
"Lily this is Remus Lupin," Tara introduced, dragging the lean, sandy haired boy over to Lily. He grinned at Lily, keeping his eyes on her face the whole time.   
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Remus," drawled Lily, lazily holding out her hand.   
  
"The pleasure is all mine," Remus said, smiling hotly.   
  
"This is Peter Pettigrew," Tara said, hurriedly shoving Remus out of the way, before he succumbed to Lily's charms. The smallish, slightly overweight boy rushed forward, his hard blue eyes, full of anxiety.   
  
"Hi Peter," Lily said, feeling instantly sorry (although she didn't know why) for the boy. Shannon and James came from around the side of the shack, holding hands.   
  
"Lily you're here!" Shannon said. "This is James Potter, my boyfriend." Lily and James looked at each other and something was passed between them. A bolt of electricity or something similar. James looked at the ground and the electricity was gone. Lily leaned forward, confidently.   
  
"Lily Evans," she said in her own Southern drawl. "It's great to finally meet you." She shook his hand. "I've heard a lot about you."   
  
"You too," James said, slipping his arm around Shannon's waist, casually. Lily grinned and winked at her younger cousin who beamed back.   
  
"You'd swear they had never seen a girl before," Tara exclaimed, indigently, to Phobe, Alyson and Lily, when the whole introduction thing was over with.   
  
"I know," Lily said. "Are all British boys like this?" she asked.   
  
"Probably." Phoebe shrugged. "You're not a veela, are you?" Lily laughed and shrugged.   
  
"Not completely. My great-great-great-great-great granny was a half veela but I don't see how I could have inherited it after a couple of centuries." All three shrugged.   
  
"It's either that or you just have a hell of a load of sex appeal," commented Alyson. Lily pooh-poohed this proposal.   
  
"You know boys. They see someone even remotely pretty their hormones start raging like an out-of-control forest fire." The girls laughed.  
  
"So, Lily, what do you think of the boys?" Alyson asked.   
  
"They're . . .interesting," Lily said, tittering a little. "No seriously though they seem ok. Sirius is a bit twisted maybe but I'd say he could be normal if he tried. Remus, I liked him. He was friendly and he looked at my face instead of my chest." The girls roared with laughter as Lily shrugged. "Peter he's well a bit shy or something. Weird? And James, well, he's mad about Shannon, which is the most important thing, but he seems nice."   
  
"Nice?" Phoebe's scoffing voice came from inside her wardrobe where her head was buried in a huge pile of clothes. "James is a sex god! He always has been and he always will be."  
  
"Phoebe!" rebuked Lily. "He's with Shannon."  
  
"Unfortunately for the female population of Hogwarts." Phoebe sighed. "Found it!" she exclaimed, triumphantly, emerging the closet with a huge bar of milky chocolate gripped in her hand.   
  
Phoebe, a certified chocoholic, had junk food stashed EVERYWHERE. It was quite possible to find a packet of something or the other in between all her school papers and homework.   
  
"Do you really like James?" Lily asked her, seriously.   
  
"Well duh, Lily. There isn't a girl in this school who doesn't fancy the pants off him," Phoebe retorted, opening the bar and offering it around.   
  
"But . . ." Lily started before Tara interrupted.   
  
"Lily, you really don't have to worry about it. Everyone has fancied James since, well, forever but no one's planning to take him off Shannon. And anyone who has tried hasn't succeeded. James is crazy for her. He'd never ever do anything to hurt her or make her feel bad. She's really lucky to have him."   
  
"Is that the case?" Lily's eyes flashed dangerously. "I bet . . .wait what am I doing? She's my cousin and I love her." Lily took a deep breath. "Never mind," she said. "Sorry sometimes my competitive nature gets the best of me. I'm so used to doing whatever I want and not having anyone care about it."  
  
"What were you gonna say?" Alyson asked, fascinated.   
  
"I was gonna say that I bet I could make James fall for me by graduation." Lily shrugged. "It's a given thing. If we were in Texas people are used to that sort of thing. It's no biggie. If you have a boyfriend you've got to be ready to fight for him. In fact if it were anyone else I'd do it but the fact that she's my cousin and . . .well it's different."  
  
"Interesting," Phoebe said, gulping down a couple of squares of her chocolate.   
  
"That's a bit mean though," said Tara.   
  
"I've never really thought about it," Lily said, taking a square of the chocolate Phoebe was offering her. "My motto was pretty much Take what you want!"  
  
"And do you want James?" Alyson chipped in.   
  
"Not really," Lily responded. "But he's a challenge and I love challenges. The best ever, I'd have to say was, splitting up Keith O Donnell and Caroline O Mahoney, voted "best couple" for three years in a row. Now they were madly, crazily in love. I mean totally head over heels. As it happened my best friend, Shauna, had an infatuation with Keith and another friend, Egan, had a thing for Caroline. Of course I, being the faithful friend, had to see to it that they got together. Best time I ever had." She snapped off another piece of the chocolate, grinning crazily as she, obviously, replayed the scene in her mind.  
  
"Ok, now THAT'S mean!" Tara said.   
  
"Maybe a bit," declared Alyson. Phoebe just made a slight face as if she didn't really think much of it.   
  
"Nothing was said about it," revealed Lily, shrugging her shoulders, in a carefree matter. "Keith and Shauna went out for two months until Shauna decided she liked Keith's best friend, Billy. Egan and Caroline lasted quite a bit longer, if I recall correctly," Lily told them, scratching her forehead and furrowing her brow in thought. "About a year I think it was. Believe me Keith thanked me for breaking them up afterwards. And that was when I dated him," Lily announced, triumphantly.   
  
"God I wish my love life was as interesting as that," groaned Phoebe, swallowing the last piece of chocolate. "The most exciting thing that's ever happened in that area of my life must have been, God I don't know, when Ian O Driscoll cheated on Marcia with me, I suppose," she expressed, whining slightly. "That was the biggest mistake of my life! Believe me having a bunch of raging Hufflepuffs trying to scratch you're eyes out every time you pass them is not the funnest thing ever!" She winced at the memory, while Alyson and Tara collapsed in spluttering giggles.   
  
"Oh my God, Ally, remember when you were going out with Sam Morris?!" exclaimed Tara, gasping with laughter. Alyson groaned.   
  
"Don't remind me!" she said. "I wasted two whole months on him!"   
  
"Why what's wrong with Sam Morris?" inquired Lily, eagerly.   
  
"What's wrong with him?" gulped Phoebe, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks. "I think the question is what's right with him?" Herself and Tara broke down in laughter once again, this time to the extent that they were rolling on the ground, trying chronically not to wet themselves.  
  
"He was a total psycho!" shrieked Tara. "He asked Ally to measure his, well, his y'know!" Lily, too, broke into cachinnation. Alyson moaned and sank her head into her arms, dejectedly.   
  
"Look I fell for his image, ok?" she yelled, when the loud laughter got really out of control. The other three settled for sniggering slightly behind their hands. "He was, like, totally cool. Anyone would want someone like that as a boyfriend," she defined. "In fact as far as I can remember until he turned out to be a total lunatic the two of you were dead jealous that I was dating him and you weren't." She looked at the other two smugly. They both held up hands containing crossed fingers.   
  
"I never liked him," they said in chorus, before bursting into another fit of uncontrollable giggles.   
  
"You so did!" Alyson importuned.   
  
"Maybe so," Phoebe accepted.   
  
"But at least we never dated him," she and Tara both said, in harmony. 


	3. Default chapter

Author's note: Basically just a small note to ask you to read and review (I know I know I'm so brazen but I really do love reviews) and also a note to tell people with flames to go fly!  
  
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is J.K. Rowlings. Anything else is miiiiiiiiiiiiine!!!! AAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!!! sorry  
  
Lily flashed the male population of Hogwarts a flirty smile as she strolled into the great hall, for dinner, in front of Phoebe, Alyson and Tara. It astonished the students no end how Lily, who had been in the school a mere two days, had already managed to become the most popular girl and also seemed to lead the group, (Phoebe, Alyson and Tara) who had never let anyone else join their diminutive circle of friends.   
  
The four sat down at the Gryfinndor table, alarmingly close to the Marauders, who were having Musketeer-style battles with rolls of French bread.   
  
"Please pass the juice," Lily purred to a fifth year sitting opposite her, in an exceptionally sexy and throaty voice, which sounded distinctly like a forty year old sex symbol's, who had just left a lifetime of chain smoking behind her. The boy almost keeled over in an ecstatic fit, before handing her the crystal pitcher with shaky hands.   
  
"Hogsmeade day on Saturday!" announced Alyson, breezing into the dormitory with Tara. Phoebe and Lily, who had been under teacher's orders to clean out their living space in fear of health risks and had been muttering darkly just a few seconds before, squealed excitedly.   
  
Lily was, after 3 months of life at Hogwarts, well used to sneaking out to Hogsmeade, after hours, to meet up with the boys and, most of the time, Shannon and it was a relief to finally have permission to visit the wizard village instead of using the treacherous way to get what she wanted.   
  
"I have to get a birthday present for Shan," Lily revealed. "She's a nightmare to shop for." She rolled her eyes. "She has almost everything!"   
  
It was no big secret that Shannon's family was extremely wealthy. Her dad was one of those businessmen types, forever on the phone making important deals, puffing on inch thick cigars and handing out lump sums of money to his three daughters whenever they asked for something. Her mother also came from a rich background but her money had been inherited off some rich uncle or other who had passed away. This had turned her into the type of woman who withered her life away at home, spying on the neighbors and the like. The kind of woman who went out and spent large amounts of money when she got depressed or bored.   
  
"We've noticed," Phoebe, Alyson and Tara replied, wryly, in chorus.   
  
"Lily come on," compelled Tara. "We're meeting the lads in five minutes and, this time, there's no way I'm being late!" She smoothed down her top and tucked her hair, neatly, behind her ears.  
  
Tara's interest in Remus had grown immensely, until it had come to the point where she became extremely possessive and practically stalked the poor boy!   
  
"You wouldn't know what kind of floozies would be hanging around in the Three Broomsticks trying to seduce Re. . . I mean the boys!" She smiled, innocently at Lily, who gave her a bemused sort of smile in return.   
  
"Ok I think I'm just going to get this for her," Lily said holding up a tape of Shannon's favourite wizard band. Tara nodded and mouthed hurry up as Lily joined the end of the queue.   
  
By the time the four had reached the three broomsticks they were most definitely late, as they usually were.   
  
"Where's Shan?" Lily asked, noticing her absence, almost instantly.   
  
"Shopping with her friends," James answered, shrugging unceremoniously.   
  
"That's good," Lily said, sliding into a seat next to Sirius. She hauled Shannon's present out of the small paper bag it had been given to her in, along with a sheet of sparkly purple wrapping paper.   
  
"I hate wrapping presents!" she scowled after four painstaking attempts to parcel up the tape, looking more like she had done four rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson.   
  
"It's not really that hard to wrap a tape," Sirius told her, holding back laughter. He put down his butterbeer and seized the tape, managing to wrap it swiftly and send it sliding across the polished pine surface, back to Lily, within five minutes.   
  
Despite they're previous, er, disagreement Sirius and Lily had become the best of friends. Well as close as was possible for them to the best of friends. Of course Sirius was still a perverted ass and Lily was still a knockout with a temper bigger than Mount Everest so their personalities clashed, dizzily. Their relationship had begun to resemble that of a brother and sister . . . with a twist. The twist being that Sirius still fancied Lily deliriously.  
  
It was well over an hour by the time Shannon had arrived to join them. The group had already gone through about nine butterbeers each and were giggling, insanely, like a pack of hyenas in heat. Shannon scuttled over to the, unhealthily, giddy students, with Mena, Kaye and Mena's new boyfriend, Billy, trailing after her.   
  
"Hiya," she said, breathlessly, planting a kiss on James' lips. In return she was greeted by another round of giggles.   
  
"Sirius go on up there and get us another round of butterbeers!" roared Phoebe, clutching her stomach in pain from laughing too hard. Sirius obeyed and within 5 minutes the group were screaming with deafening, uncontrollable laughter and were exchanging senseless jokes, which seemed like the funniest thing ever to them. Several people passed their table, throwing them bizarre looks and avoiding them as much as was possible.   
  
" . . .And the Daddy strawberry yelled "No"!" Sirius gave the punchline to a long, pointless joke about strawberries playing basketball and immediately dissolved into another fit of hooting. The rest of the gang followed suit, including James, who had been kissing Shannon, intensely. Kaye, Mena and Billy managed a three-way glance and Shannon, who was well used to the gang in this condition, hopped up, kissed James, lightly, on the cheek and made for the door, her three friends in tow.   
  
"Lily where are you going?" Phoebe questioned, running a brush through her platinum blonde hair.   
  
"To the Ravenclaw common room," Lily replied, brushing a strand of her freshly washed hair off her face. "I've got to give Shan her present." She rattled the small, squarish package triumphantly.   
  
"I'm coming with you!" Phoebe shrieked, excitedly, grabbing her shoes.   
  
"Ok," Lily said, suspiciously. "Why? Who do you want to see?" Phoebe put on her best "I'm-so-wounded" face.   
  
"Lily, Lily, Lily," she answered, shaking her head, as she pulled on her second shoe. "How could you even suggest I have an ulterior motive? I'm doing it out of the goodness of my heart, to wish Shannon a happy birthday." She stood in front of Lily, smiling sweetly up at her. Lily stared back, a skeptical look flashing over her features. "Ok, ok," admitted Phoebe, reluctantly. "Maybe I want to see Brad Thompson. You know the new student from Argentina?" Lily smirked.   
  
"You like him?" she teased.  
  
"So what!" protested Phoebe. "He's cute and he talks all funny!" Lily rolled her eyes.   
  
"Well duh, Phoebs. Spanish IS his main language." Phoebe made a face.  
  
"Yea, whatever, Lil. Let's just get going."   
  
"Shan!" Lily called to her cousin, who was sprawled on a couch, a bottle of butterbeer in her hand. Phoebe had gone off in search of the boy's dormitory and Lily had opted to visit the common room, where a party of some sorts was going on.   
  
"Lils!" she squealed, running over to her older cousin and flinging her arms around her. "Mena and Kaye organized this whole thing for me! Aren't they the greatest!" she exclaimed, waving wildly to her two friends.  
  
"Yea great," Lily said, rummaging around in the bag that was permanently in her clutches, for Shannon's present. She extracted the small package and tossed it to her cousin.   
  
"Shan, happy birthday babe," came the unmistakable loud voice of James Potter. Both girls spun around, spotting him, almost immediately, by the doorway, accompanied by Sirius and Phoebe, who were conversing politely. Lily uttered a quick goodbye to Shannon and walked towards the small portion of their gang.   
  
"Potter," Lily said, winking at him as she passed.   
  
"Oh hi, Lil," James said, staring after her as she sauntered over to where Sirius and Phoebe were watching her.   
  
"Lily Evans I saw you wink at James," scolded Phoebe as they climbed through the portrait hole. "Bold!" Lily turned and gave Phoebe an innocent look.   
  
"Whoops," she said, unconvincingly, scuffing the top of her shoe on the fluffy carpet. "Habit?" she tried.   
  
"You should have seen his face!" Phoebe exclaimed, giving up any pretence of anger. Both girls were convulsed with unmanageable laughter and staggered up to their dorm.   
  
"What's so funny?" demanded Alyson after they had collapsed in a crumpled heap on the ground, shaking with laughter.  
  
"Lily made a pass at James," gasped Phoebe, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. She got up, giggling every so often.  
  
"Lily Whatever-your-middle-name-is Evans . . ." began Alyson.   
  
"Ashling. It's Ashling," interrupted Lily, who was sprawled out on the floor, recalling the scene in the Ravenclaw common room.   
  
"Right, Lily Ashling Evans, " agreed Alyson.   
  
"I like that name," Phoebe commented, suddenly. "Ashling."   
  
"It's better than Lily," nodded Lily.   
  
"Anyway that was bold Lily. She's your cousin," Alyson finally finished her statement. There was a pause in the conversation. "So what was his reaction?" Alyson asked, grinning. The three girls collapsed into giggles.  
  
Lily, Phoebe and Alyson sat in the common room, reading ancient copies of "Witch weekly", "Teen witch" and "Moonshine", occasionally letting a tiny giggle slip out. Lily's head snapped up, suddenly.   
  
"Where's Tara?" she demanded, only just missing her friend's presence.   
  
"Oh didn't you hear?" Alyson asked, mildly. "Remus asked her out. She almost passed out of course but managed to say yes." Alyson laughed, cattily.   
  
"I'm surprised you didn't know, Lils," agreed Phoebe, nodding her head, slightly. "Didn't you see her heading towards the statue? She was dolled up to the nines. She made way too much of an effort if you ask me. Playing hard to get works much better I find." Phoebe grinned, knowingly.   
  
"Just like its working with Sirius, is it, Phoebs?" Alyson inquired, smiling innocently.   
  
"What's working with Sirius?" came a voice from somewhere behind them. All three girls turned, simultaneously, to find Sirius, dangling dangerously over the edge of the couch. Phoebe screamed on seeing him and toppled out of her cozy perch on an overlarge, tattered armchair by the fire. A snort escaped Alyson.   
  
"Nothing," Phoebe said, her blond head popping up over the arm of her chair.   
  
"Well if you're sure," Sirius said, not sounding very sure at all. He swayed, riskily and all of a sudden found himself falling headlong into a group of scared looking forth year girls.   
  
"How you doing?" Sirius asked, slinging his arm around one of them. A brunette, all classy red highlights, Calvin Klein perfume and long legs up to her armpits. Phoebe, Lily and Alyson left him to it, Alyson and Lily finding themselves convulsed with riotous laughter, earning killer glares from Phoebe, who was climbing back onto her chair. 


	4. Default chapter

Author's note: Well??? What do you guys think so far? Do you like it? Well I'm writing it anyway so it doesn't matter but I DO hope you like it!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is J.K Rowling's. Anything else is mine. Like I said before.   
  
"Lily, Phoebe and Alyson lay on the frosty, November grass, spying on Remus and Tara from where they lay, all wrapped up in woolly jumpers, ski pants and puffy jackets. 1  
  
`"How can she not be cold wearing that!?" interrogated Phoebe, referring to Tara's short blue skirt and flowered string top, covered only by a flimsy looking, see-thru, pale blue t-shirt.   
  
"I don't know," Lily answered, disbelievingly, shivering ever-so-slightly in her over-large fleecy sweatshirt. "And how on earth is she managing to walk in those bloody heels?" she added, taking in her friends shoes, of which the heels were at least 7 or 8 inches, a good inch or two higher than Phoebe's thoroughly worn out platforms.   
  
"Well that's not too bad," preened Phoebe, lifting one leg in the air to show-off her platforms, which had been laced with multicolored strings.   
  
"She's just about as tall as him, even in those shoes," commented Alyson, taking in the scene, which lay barely 150 meters away from them. The three girls flopped onto their backs, staring up at the stars high above them.   
  
"You know if you look at the stars for long enough you'll see a shooting star," Alyson informed them.   
  
"Really?" Phoebe said, doubtfully, keeping one eye on the starry night sky, just in case.   
  
"Yea," answered Alyson, gazing up.   
  
"Well I still can't see one anyhow," complained Lily, propping herself up with her elbow. A sudden squeal from her jerked the other two out of their stargazing.   
  
"What?" demanded Phoebe, scrambling around on the grass, to prop herself up. Lily sighed, dramatically.   
  
"He's going to kiss her!" exclaimed Alyson, forgetting to whisper. She clamped her hand over her mouth. She defended herself as the other two began to attack her with their nails.   
  
"The camera Lily, the camera," moaned Phoebe. She hadn't waited in the blistering cold for two hours for nothing you know! Lily dug down into her pocket and extracted a camera, which looked exceedingly like one of the disposable ones available in the muggle world. She focused the camera on her two friends (who were looking blissfully happy with each other) and rolled off as many shots in minutes.   
  
"Come on," Phoebe said, jumping up and pulling up the other two with her. "They'll be heading up soon." Lily took one final photo of the pair, wrapped around each other, not unlike a granny and her radiator on a cold day, and followed her friends who were legging it towards the castle.   
  
By the time Tara walked into the common room, looking extraordinarily happy, the three were sitting by the fire, snuggled into their fluffy dressing gowns, holding steaming cups of hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows of course) in their laps.   
  
"Tell us EVEYTHING!" Phoebe interrogated. "Where did you go? Was it fun? Did he kiss you? Did he comment on you're outfit? Are you going out again?"  
  
"In that order To Hogsmeade, Yes! Maybe. (The other three exchanged knowing smiles at this point.) Yes. ("He said it was gorgeous on me!") Yes definitely!"  
  
"Great," chirped Lily.   
  
"Lily," Phoebe said, in a stage whisper. "I'll give you ten galleons if you can seduce Remus." The other two laughed, Tara somewhat reluctantly and only after she had warned them that they better not or there'd be slaps!   
  
"Hey Tara."  
  
"Hi Remus." The two smiled, almost shyly, at each other at breakfast the next morning.   
  
"Well, well, well," Phoebe said, popping up behind them. "If it isn't the love match of the century. Move along now, you're holding up traffic." Tara's face was lightly flushed as she moved along, waving quite awkwardly to Remus.   
  
"Lily, Lily!" called an ecstatic sounding voice from her left. Lily's eyes searched the great hall until she saw Shannon, gesturing for her to come over with her free hand. She was sitting on a table, her legs propped up on the seat in front of her. James was standing behind the chair, holding her free hand. Lily got up from her seat at the Gryfinndor table, where she was sitting quite cozily with Ben Collins, a seventh year Ravenclaw. She trudged over to Shannon, yawning. She, Phoebe, Tara and Alyson had been up half the night before playing games like truth or dare and howling at the stories that were coming out.   
  
"Who's the guy, Lils?" Shannon asked, looking over Lily's shoulder to where Ben was still sitting.   
  
"Ben Collins," answered Lily.   
  
"Who?" Shannon asked, her brow furrowing in thought.   
  
"He's a seventh year. Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team," James said, answering Shannon's question before Lily had time to. Lily nodded.   
  
"Yea," she said. "He's cute, don't you think?" Shannon nodded, a bit too enthusiastically maybe.   
  
"Um, but not as cute as you Jamsie," she added, smiling beguilingly at her boyfriend, whose face was blank.   
  
"What?" he asked, jerking out of some sort of trance.   
  
"Nothing, nothing," Lily answered, glossing the whole thing over. "So what is it Shan?"  
  
"Oh yea," Shannon said, her eyes lighting up. "Well Mummy's having a Christmas ball, you know one of those high society things she gives every so often, and she said I'm to invite as many people as I want. Well obviously you're coming, seeing as Saoirse (A/N Lily's mum!) will make you but you can bring Phoebe, Tara and Alyson if you want. James is bringing the lads as well." Lily's eyes lit up, as she recalled the many parties and dances and the like she had attended, held by her Aunt Naomi. Of course she knew it was just another event where her aunt could amuse herself by buying a new outfit and basically flaunting her wealth but her events were fun all the same."   
  
"Remember the last one?!" Shannon was saying as Lily jerked out of her train of thought.   
  
"Oh yea!" Lily started laughing. "I'll never forget it!" The two cousins exchanged a secret grin as they remembered the flagon of vodka they had stolen from the kitchen. They had spent the entire evening stumbling around, as if they were wearing Phoebe's heels, muttering utter nonsense about this that and the other.  
  
"Anyway it's on in a month. The 23rd of December," Shannon said. Lily nodded.   
  
"Ok," she said. "I'll sort it out with the girls tonight."   
  
Shannon let out a small sigh as her cousin walked away. "She's so pretty," she said, out loud to James. James nodded in agreement.   
  
"She is." He caught the look on Shannon's face and almost rolled his eyes but caught himself just in time. "But so are you, Shan," he said, automatically, as if it were duty more than truth.   
  
Christmas holidays drew closer. Shannon went home every weekend, a demand from her frantic mother, to help with preparations for the party. Apparently this party was going to be "the social event of the year and everyone who was anyone would attend".  
  
It was the first Saturday in December and Lily sat, bundled up, in the common room, reading one of her favourite books. Ben, who Lily had been seeing on a regular basis, was sick in bed with the flu and to be honest Lily was relieved. He was far too overbearing and possessive for her liking. Tara and Remus, the now completely loved up couple, were taking a walk around the lake together. Sirius and Phoebe were on detention for playing a mean, but altogether hilarious, prank on Snape, in which he had skipped around the halls of Hogwarts for a full day, in an adorable floaty white dress, a matching bonnet and a basket full of daisies that he scattered around the great hall, joyfully. Alyson was attending the wedding of some distant cousin or another and Shannon had of course been rushed home for another weekend of frantic planning and preparation.   
  
After reading a good 2 chapters of her book, Lily felt the presence of someone else in the common room. She put the book down and peered, cautiously behind her. James stood behind her, arms propped up on the headrest of her armchair. His face held a bored expression.   
  
"Hey Lily," he said.  
  
"Morning," Lily said, nodding at him, in acknowledgement.   
  
"This place is so boring," he commented. Lily shrugged.   
  
"I guess," she said.   
  
"Do you want to go do something?" he suggested.   
  
"Do what?" Lily questioned, not budging. This time it was James who shrugged.   
  
"Just something."   
  
And that was how they found themselves up in the astronomy tower, sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket, with a huge lunch, obtained from the kitchen, spread out between them.   
  
"Honestly?" Lily laughed, her mouth full of cold chicken.   
  
"I swear," James said, also laughing, as he took a bite of a chocolate biscuit.   
  
"James Potter!" exclaimed Lily, pausing for thought. "I don't believe a word you're saying!" They both broke into loud, unruly laughter.   
  
"Ok, ok," James admitted. "Maybe I stretched the truth just a bit but most of it is true!"  
  
"Stretched the truth a bit! Huh that's an understatement. If it were a rubber band it would have snapped and broken long ago!……….Ok, ok I have another one for you! First kiss?"  
  
"Um, let's see. First year. I was just twelve the month before. And it was behind the broom shed with Jenny Mitchell!"   
  
"You mean that really pretty blonde girl in Ravenclaw?" James nodded.   
  
"That's her!"   
  
"Did ye go out?" Lily asked him, taking a roll from in front of her. James wrinkled his nose.   
  
"Hmmm……..not really. Maybe for a week or so. It wasn't serious anyway!"   
  
"Ok last one," Lily said, almost choking on her roll as she thought of her final question for the game she and James were playing, twenty questions. "How many people were you with BEFORE Shannon?"   
  
"Ok, lets see," James said, thinking hard. "Well first was Jenny. Then I went out with Michelle Piper, you know she's in sixth year, for about a month or two, then, I'd swear it was Phoebe. Yea it was. We broke up after 3 weeks because she caught me kissing Haley Mitchell. So she was after Phoebs. Then there was VERY brief relationships with Anna O Mahoney, Ashling Hartnet and Grainne Lyons. Then came my second longest relationship! (After Shan of course) It was with Hannah O Driscoll. We broke up after about six months. Then was Carrie Johnson, Alicia Ryan, Maria Maher, Violet Wells and Nicole O Connell. All very short, only a couple of days each. Then Jillian Farrell and, well, ever since then it's been Shannon." There was a long silence.  
  
"Do you really, really like her, yea?" Lily asked him, softly, as his eyelids flickered downwards at the mention of Shannon. He sighed. "You don't have to say yes just because I'm her cousin, you know," Lily said. "I mean I know how life works. You don't always stay in like with someone you've been head over heels for."  
  
"I used to think I loved her," James said. "Lately I'm not so sure anymore."  
  
"Maybe it's just a rough patch?" suggested Lily.   
  
"Maybe," agreed James. "I just hope you're right!" He smiled feebly.  
  
"Of course I am! I'm Lily and I'm always right!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. James laughed. "Ow!" Lily said. "My legs are going numb!" She stood up. "I've got to head back," she said. "Detention, you know the way." She shrugged.   
  
"For what?" inquired James.  
  
"Oh I can't remember. Something to do with Snape, pink underwear and a pole," she drawled. James snorted.   
  
"I'll walk you there," he said, jumping up. So they walked in comfortable silence as far as the grounds.   
  
"Thanks for walking me," Lily said, running a hand through her fiery hair and smiling sweetly.   
  
"No problem," James said, smiling his trademark smile that made the majority of the female population go weak at the knees. He swallowed and leaned in closer to Lily. She smiled, adoringly up at him, barely even registering what she was about to do.   
  
"Hey Lils, hey James," came a loud voice from behind them. Lily spun around, in shock, as she realized what she had almost done. Phoebe was staggering towards them, waving wildly. "James, Shannon is back from wherever the hell she was all day and she's looking for you all over the place." James nodded.   
  
"Thanks Phoebs, I'd better go find her," he said. "Um, bye Lily. Have a good, um, detention." He swallowed before running off.   
  
"Lily what the hell were you thinking?!" demanded Phoebe, when James was out of earshot.   
  
"That's the problem. I WASN'T thinking," Lily replied numbly. "I've got to go to detention. I'll talk to you after, Phoebs." She walked towards the forbidden forest where she could already see Hagrid's large shape waiting. Under normal circumstances (i.e. back in her old school) she would have pashed James without a second thought but this was James she was talking about. SHANNON'S boyfriend. Her own cousin's boyfriend. Her own flesh and blood. She couldn't do that! She didn't even LIKE James in that way.   
  
  
Then why the hell did she feel so down? 


	5. Default chapter

Author's note: I love any of you how reviewed my story. THANK YOU!!!!!! The rest of you still have time to get on my "good" list before I upload the next chapter. I usually hate people who do this but I promise if I get, say 30 - 35 reviews the next chapter will be up MUCH MUCH faster. : ) pwetty pweese? *flutters eyelashes innocently*  
  
Disclaimer: Like I said in the past, oh, 3 or 4 chapters, anything you recognize is J.K. Rowling's and EVERYTHING else is mine. ; )  
  
Life went on. Lily broke up with Ben, due to his possessive nature that she just couldn't handle any more. Shannon and James went around more loved up than ever, obviously having gotten over their "rough patch" and Lily had to convince herself that she didn't care in the slightest.   
  
"I can't wait for Shannon's party thing!" exclaimed Phoebe. "Three years in a row my Christmas has been soooo boring and just the most family-oriented thing you've EVER come across!"   
  
Phoebe hated Christmas with a passion. As far as she was concerned the only good thing about the holiday was the presents bit. The whole family oriented atmosphere got a bit much for her, causing her to lock herself in her room for most of the "jolly" season away from her three elder brothers and parents who were two of the biggest perfectionists known to mankind.   
  
"I know!" Tara rolled her eyes. "If I had to spend another Christmas with Vicki I would probably go insane, at least temporarily."  
  
Vicki was one of those older sisters who just couldn't get on with younger siblings if they tried. She was so competitive with Tara it was unnatural. In her parents eyes she was the perfect daughter. Straight A's in school, polite, respectable friends, a boyfriend whom they considered to be a good influence on their eldest daughter, etc, etc.  
  
"Practically perfect in every way," quoted Tara, mocking her mother's tone. "Like that bloody Mary Poppins one!"   
  
"Mary who?" asked Phoebe and Alyson in unison, who had no recognition of anything that came from the muggle world.   
  
"Never mind," Tara said, shaking her head. "The main thing is that I don't have to put up with her this year!"   
  
"Older sisters suck," commented Lily, flopping down on the bed.   
  
"You said it," agreed Tara, joining her. They sighed in unison.   
  
"Lily, are you girls almost ready?" Saoirse, Lily's mother, called up the stairs. "You know Naomi (Shannon's mother) will go ape if we're late!"  
  
Lily and the girls had been home for just over a week. Tara, Alyson and Phoebe had decided that Lily's family (minus Petunia of course) were the best family in the world and they wanted to move in with them permanently. They had also decided that her Texan cousins, Dave, Jonas and Darryl were the finest guys in the world. ("Wait 'til you see Shannon's best muggle friend, Tom!" Lily had exclaimed when the girls repeated this to her.)  
  
"Yea two minutes, Mum. Phoebe is hogging the mirror," Lily bellowed down the stairs to her mother.   
  
"I'm counting," Saoirse reciprocated.   
  
"Bitch!" Phoebe slapped Lily, lightly, with one hand and applied a shimmery pink coloured lip-gloss with the other.   
  
"Tara you're dress is gorgeous!" squealed Alyson when Tara emerged from the en suite bathroom attached to Lily's room. And it was. It was a dark red colour, which complimented Tara's dark hair and tanned skin to perfection, and looked a bit like the dresses those "cha-cha" dancers wore, sleeveless with a v-neck front and flowing down at the back with a ruffled hem coming up at the front. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a cute half ponytail and she wore only the barest hint of make-up.   
  
"Thank you," Tara said, dropping into a mock curtsey. She came up laughing. "I love that skirt, Ally," she complimented in return. "Remember when you got it?" she asked, beginning to laugh.   
  
"Oh yea!" Alyson snorted. "The day we went to Diagon Ally and Phoebe was following those foreign exchange students all over the place!" Both girls collapsed with giggles. Alyson had gone for glamour with black. Her skirt was a short leather one worn with high boots, which Phoebe like to call "Ally's fuck-me boots." Her top was a black one-shoulder top that tied at the top in a smallish knot and left the remaining pieces of material trial down her back. A silver, linked chain belt swung low from her left hip.   
  
"Phoebs you look gorgeous!" Lily vociferated. "Now would you give the rest of us a turn to look in the mirror!?" Phoebe was wearing a gorgeous pale, pale pink strapless dress, which molded her figure like a second skin and ended about two inches above her knee. Her hair, which had been freshly bleached (with help from Lily and Saoirse) the day before, had been put into hundreds of tiny little plaits and suited her immensely.   
  
Lily, without a doubt, looked as gorgeous as she possibly could. Her dress, which was a sheet of green velvet that fell to the ground attractively and was held up with spaghetti straps, contrasted flatteringly with her hair, which fell to her mid back in soft curls. A silver, glittery hair band rested on her head without pulling back her hair. A slit to her mid-thigh showed off a great deal of snowy white skin.   
  
"Lily I can honestly say that you look fab!" proclaimed Tara.   
  
"Thanks darling," Lily countered, applying a dusting of shimmery eye shadow over her eyelids.   
  
"Lily you really have to come NOW, sweetheart," Lily's father, Ian, called up to his beloved daughter.   
  
"Coming," roared Lily. She rummaged in her desk drawer and extracted the magical camera her parents had given her for her last birthday and raced down the spiral stairs, her friends in tow. "Take a picture of us before we go," Lily said, throwing her camera to her dad and posing her friends in a matter of seconds.   
  
"OUT!" Lily's mother pointed to the door as soon as the picture had been taken. The four girls scrambled for the door, still blinking from the flash of the camera.   
  
"Lily, darling, you look absolutely fantastic, as usual!" trilled Naomi, when the group eventually reached the house, waving a champagne glass in the air. The party was obviously already in full swing. "Have a drink, dear," she offered, swiping a cocktail off the tray of a passing waiter and handing it to her niece. "What about you girls?" she asked Phoebe, Alyson and Tara. She snapped her fingers and instantly three more cocktails appeared on the table next to her. She handed them to the three, astounded girls. "Oops got to fly, Lils," she said, nodding her head towards a tall man who was in the middle of a large group of people. "Looks like Shay is trying to tell his elephant story again." She made a face. "Ta Ta, doll," she said, gliding away.   
  
"THAT'S Shannon's mother?" Phoebe asked, in astonishment. Lily nodded and sipped her cocktail.  
  
"What's the elephant story?" Alyson asked.   
  
"You DON'T want to know," Lily replied. "Come on," she urged, downing the last of her drink and pulling the girls after her. "Let's go mingle!"  
  
"Lily Evans!" proclaimed a voice, as an arm slipped around her waist.  
  
"Tom!" Lily said, turning to face him. She gave him a peck on the lips, which he immediately deepened. "Great to see you," she said, when she pulled away.   
  
"You too!" he answered. "So how's my favorite sex goddess doing?" he inquired, walking with her.   
  
"Tom, you charmer!" Lily said, not sounding a million miles away from Naomi. "Meet my friends, Phoebe, Tara and Alyson," she said, waving a careless hand towards the three who were standing in a circle, whispering about the food, the drinks, the people, everything.   
  
"Charmed!" Tom said, raising an eyebrow and smiling. He shook each girl's hand in turn, receiving a wink from Alyson, a hot smile from Tara and a raised eyebrow to match his from Phoebe. "So where's my darling Petunia tonight?" he asked, looking around the room. "I just love tormenting her."   
  
"She's over there," Lily whispered, smiling. Tom turned and saw her.   
  
"Petty, sweetheart," he shouted walking over to her, arms outstretched.   
  
"HE'S Shannon's best friend?" Phoebe hissed. "He's soooo hot!" Lily shrugged.   
  
"What can I say?" she said. "Shan has good taste!"   
  
"Lily you look gorgeous!" Shannon appeared out of no-where, clinging to James' arm.   
  
"You too, Shan," Lily smiled and took in Shannon's dress which had no doubt cost hundreds and hundreds of pounds. It was a long, blue halter dress, with slits up both sides. It looked like something she had been poured into and suited her enormously. "Hey James," she said, smiling an innocent smile at him.   
  
The two had barely spoken since the night Phoebe had interrupted them. Just the odd hi and the like. It wasn't as if they were feeling awkward. It was more like they were afraid of what would happen if they were left together.   
  
"I saw you had a run-in with Tom," Shannon whispered, rolling her eyes and grinning in spite of herself.   
  
"Hey," Lily defended. "I can handle him."  
  
"He still adores you," Shannon informed her cousin. Lily and Tom had dated for an entire summer when Lily had visited Shannon two years ago.   
  
"He's a sweetheart," Lily answered. "Anyway I'd better go introduce the girls to some people before they murder me or something." Shannon nodded. She poked her head around Lily.   
  
"Have fun," she said to the three girls standing, not so patiently, behind her.  
  
"See you later, Shan. Bye James." Lily nodded to them and set off again.  
  
"Girls!" hollered a voice out of no-where. "We were JUST about to come and look for you." Sirius, Remus and Peter stepped out in front of them. "Jamsie is off being introduced to all the future in-laws and we were feeling a bit lost," Sirius commented.   
  
"I don't think you know HOW to feel lost, Black," Lily returned.   
  
"I'm hurt, Lils," Sirius said, putting a hand over his heart. "Come on, Phoebs," he said, dropping his act. "How about a dance?" He whirled Phoebe onto the dance floor. Remus took Tara's hand and led her over to one of the many food tables. She let go of his hand, wrapped her arm around his waist and smiled up at him.   
  
"Come on Ally, I'll introduce you to a couple of people," Lily said. The two walked off, chatting about Sirius and Phoebe at a hundred miles per hour. Lily stopped and turned around.   
  
"You too, Pete," she said to Peter who was standing by himself near the whirling couples on the dance floor. "Come on." He hurried after them and smiled gratefully at Lily. "You having a good time?" Lily asked him, as they walked again.   
  
Four dances later Sirius and Phoebe were still dancing, crashing into the other dancing couples around them, drunk on hyperness. Remus and Tara were sitting at a table talk, animatedly. Remus was holding her hands and stroking them, softly. It looked so loved up Lily felt like puking and cooing all at once. Alyson was dancing with Darryl, who had taken a shine to her otherworldly glamour. She had set Peter up with a cousin of hers, Geraldine, and they too were dancing. Shannon and James were leaning against a wall, facing each other, in the middle of a conversation. Lily was searching the room. If only she could spot Shannon's gorgeous cousin, Stephan, related to her from her father's side and therefore no relation to Lily, everything would be peachy.   
  
"Fancy a dance, Lils?" Tom came up behind her and swept her up in his arms. She shrieked.   
  
"Will you let me down?" she asked.   
  
"Of course," he answered.   
  
"Ok," Lily agreed. He set her back down and half dragged her onto the dance floor.   
  
"This is a wicked party, Lil!" cried Phoebe as she passed Lily, who was dancing with Stephan whom she had eventually found, with Jonas, practically wrapped around her. Naomi had started some sort of karaoke contest on the magical stage, which Phoebe and Lily had evidently won after singing "Sweets for my sweets."   
  
"I know. Naomi ALWAYS gives good parties," Lily informed her. "Listen," she said to Stephan. "I've got to get some air. Do you want to go for a walk?" he nodded and wrapped his arm around Lily. They turned and headed for the door. James watched them go, almost downcast. 


	6. Default chapter

Author's note: Hey peeps! I'm on top of the world though I don't know why cos I just had the hugest fight with my best friend. (It's his fault!!!) Anyways please read and review my story and if you guys have any suggestions on how to make this story better don't hesitate to tell me cos I can always use ideas and tips! R/r!  
  
Disclaimer: Once again anything you recognize is J.K.s and anything else is mine, plot included. Don't sue me cos I'm saving for my holiday and I need every penny!!!!!  
  
Lily wiped sleep out of her eyes and sat up. Alyson, Tara and Phoebe were already up and sitting in a small circle, gossiping, more than likely about the party the night before. Tara was the picture of health in baggy denim jeans, a red top with ¾ length sleeves and her hair neatly brushed and tucked behind her ears. Alyson was paler than usual but noting too noticeable. Phoebe, however, looked as if she had been rolled over by a truck several times and Lily could only guess she looked the same, if not worse. The party had been brilliant! Although the last hour or two were a little hazy in Lily's mind, partly due to the 8 blue cocktails she'd had and partly due to her tiredness.   
  
"Morning Lils," sang out Tara, sounding much too happy for…(Lily grabbed her clock)…10:30 on a Saturday morning. Lily groaned and dumped the clock on the floor next to her bed. She grunted a "good morning" to her friends before trudging over to the mirror to check the damage. She groaned on looking at her reflection. Mascara was smeared all the way from under her eyes to almost her mid-cheek, making her look a bit like a panda. She had purplish bags under her eyes and her lips were cracked and swollen.   
  
"Ughhhhhhhh," she grumbled. A soft knock at the door made her jump slightly and Shannon's head popped around. She too looked perfectly healthy and happy. Lily remembered her parents roaring drunkenness and extreme inability to drive/fly or apparate home. That must have been the reason they were still at Shannon's house.   
  
"Morning," said Shannon, softly. "The boys stayed over as well. We're going to Diagon Alley in a little while and we just wondered if you wanted to come?"   
  
"We'll follow you," Lily told her, glancing at her reflection again. Shannon nodded and retreated, shutting the door behind her.   
  
"That was a brilliant party last night, Lil," proclaimed Tara.   
  
"Naomi's parties always are," Lily said for at least the second time in two days.   
  
Two hours later Lily and the gang felt refreshed enough to follow Shannon and the boys to Diagon Alley.   
  
"The wonders of make-up will never cease," interposed Phoebe, staring at her newly made up face in the window of Honeydukes. She looked as healthy as ever, with the help of Alyson's wonderful make-up skills. "I love you Ally!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend. Alyson screamed.   
  
"Get off me, Phoebs." And so she ran down the street, Phoebe following her arms outstretched.   
  
"Lunatics," muttered Lily. "Pure and utter lunatics." Tara was too busy waving fiercely to someone (who turned out to be Remus) down the street. She skipped happily down towards him and he hugged her tightly and kissed her lightly on the lips when she reached him. It was sweet contemplated Lily. They really were the most loved up couple she knew. Well besides James and Shannon she thought darkly, glancing over to where they sat on a bench, arms wrapped around each other.   
  
"Hi guys," Lily said, as she approached them.   
  
"Hey Lils," Sirius and Remus said, simultaneously. "How are you?" Their grins were a bit too wide for Lily's liking.   
  
"I'm good," she answered, warily. "Why?"  
  
"Have a good time last night?" Sirius queried, innocently.   
  
"Yea." Lily nodded. "The party was good."  
  
"How about the company?" Sirius said, waggling his eyebrows. Phoebe hit him on the arm and Lily rolled her eyes.   
  
"Oh," she said, understanding. "That. Yes the company WAS good, thanks very much for asking." Lily and Stephan had pretty much been wrapped around each other all night, like hamsters on a cold morning. "How about you?" she asked, wickedly. Likewise Phoebe and Sirius had been with each other on and off all night, kissing like there was no tomorrow. Phoebe blushed slightly at this comment.   
  
"Excellent," Sirius said, adopting a posh air. "Simply excellent." He turned and waggled his eyebrows at Phoebe who immediately hit him over the head, followed by Lily about two seconds later.   
  
"Come on," Alyson demanded. "I'm cold and I want something to warm me up." And so the group trooped into Honeydukes and drank butterbeer after butterbeer to warm themselves up. Tara was perched on Remus' lap and the pair were whispering what the others could only imagine to be sweet nothings into each others ears. James' arm was draped around Shannon who was leaning against him. Both were half asleep. Sirius and Phoebe were having arguments and making up with kisses every three seconds or so and Peter had disappeared with the girl he had been dancing with the night before. So that left Alyson and Lily.   
  
"Come on let's go shopping," Alyson said to Lily. "There's a cute boutique just down the road and you can get the most amazing clothes there, muggle or wizard. It's where I got my black skirt, you know the one I was wearing last night?" Lily nodded and downed the last of her butterbeer before standing up and slipping on her coat.   
  
"I've got to get some last minute Christmas presents as well," she commented. "Christmas completely slipped my mind this year!" Alyson nodded.   
  
"I've got to get something for Phoebe," she added. "She's the HARDEST person to shop for!"  
  
"I got her the coolest earrings," Lily said as they walked out. "Their seriously funky." And they walked down the street, Lily describing what sounded like the ideal present for Phoebe. 


	7. Default chapter

Author's note: Hey guys. I know the last chapter was short and VERY boring. I'll try to make this one a little longer and a LOT more interesting!!! As per usual read and review (nicely please) Any ideas and tips welcome!  
  
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is J.K Rowling's. Anything else is mine. As you already know. I've decided I hate disclaimers!!!  
  
Christmas came and went and before the girls knew it they were packing to go back to Hogwarts again. For Lily it was almost a relief. Her parents were pretty cool when it boiled right down to it but they did get annoying and of course two weeks on the trot with Petunia was downright horrible!!!  
  
"I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts!" exclaimed Lily on the train ride there.  
  
"I dunno, Lils," Phoebe disagreed. "You're family are really cool, minus Petunia of course. I could have stayed that your house forever without getting sick of it! You're grandma is really cool." True. Lily's grandmother, Anne, was a hilariously funny woman with the most sarcastic sense of humor ever. She was a tough old bird, convinced they were still in the middle of World War 1. Lily laughed.   
  
"I'm not sure, Phoebes," she said, thoughtfully. "You'd get sick of her pretty quickly!"   
  
"I don't…" Phoebe started before she was interrupted by the door banging open, a loud burst of laughter and a couple of guys stumbling in the door. It could only have been the Marauders! James, Sirius, Remus and Peter straightened themselves up and flopped down on the seats opposite the girls.   
  
"How are my favourite chicks today?" Sirius asked, earning himself four steely glares. Well three. Tara was too busy, leaning over to kiss her boyfriend, to glare at Sirius.   
  
"Where's Shannon?" Lily asked James.   
  
"Oh she has the hen pox or something like that," James informed her.   
  
"Chicken pox," Lily corrected, having had it herself.  
  
"That's it," James said.   
  
"Have you noticed how couplish Tara and Remus are?" Phoebe whispered to Lily, watching the pair who were all cuddled up together on the seat opposite them.  
  
"Yea." Lily nodded. "Sickening." Phoebe snorted.   
  
"I'm really starting to hate train rides," Phoebe remarked, slumping down in her seat. "Their so boring!" Lily nodded in agreement. James, Sirius and Peter lurched in the door, guffawing at Plan 642, which they had just carried out. Something to do with Slytherins, traditional Irish dancing, those adorable Celtic dresses worn while dancing, long blonde hair and of course the inability to stop dancing reels and jigs.   
  
"What a brilliant plan!" gasped Peter, collapsing into a seat.   
  
"You said it, Petey boy, you said it!" roared Sirius, falling into convulsions again.   
  
"I don't think we've played a prank as good as that since Halloween!" wheezed James. "You know the one where at the stroke of midnight all the teachers turned into pumpkins!"   
  
"Oh yea!!!" All at once Sirius was in fits of laughter again, gulping for air.   
  
"Awww would you look at the lover birds?" he cooed, after calming down, leaning over Remus and Tara.   
  
"Love birds," corrected Phoebe.   
  
"Whatever," uttered Sirius. "My baby is growing up so fast," he wailed, rubbing Remus' sandy coloured hair and pretending to wipe away a tear.   
  
"I swear to God sometimes," Sirius just gets so annoying!" declared Phoebe, once they were up in their dorm, collapsed on their beds.   
  
"Uh-huh." Lily stifled a yawn and drifted off to sleep.   
  
Weeks passed by. Shannon arrived back to school with two weeks, finding the Marauders had gone wilder than ever in her absence. No doubt she would tone James down again not exceeding a couple of days. Lily craved for her old Texan lifestyle, feeling that Hogwarts was just too calm for her, causing her to snap at everyone and sink into a mild depression.   
  
It was a gorgeously sunny day in May. The first sunny day all year. Lily had set her books up by the lake and sat next to them, dangling her feet in the icy water below her. It was deliciously cool. She swept her hair back behind her ears and opened her Transfiguration book. She hated transfiguration, with an intense passion. It was without a doubt her worst subject, she still finding it difficult to turn a teapot into a tortoise not to mind the more difficult things, and often made her want to tear her hair out. She clenched her fists together and squeezed her eyes shut, not understanding how someone who excelled in Charms, Potions, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy could be this inadequate at Transfiguration. Feeling a presence behind her and seeing a shadow fall next to her on the ground, she turned slowly. James Potter stood behind her, smiling easily, leaning against a tree, arms crossed.   
  
"Having difficulties?" he enquired.   
  
"James, I don't know how you do it!" Lily said, in a high-pitched tone, almost at octave higher than her own. "It's bloody impossible."   
  
"Do what?" he questioned. She threw her Transfiguration book at him.   
  
"Bloody Transfiguration that's what," she half yelled. "I can't even turn a teapot into a tortoise and that's third year stuff!!!" James crouched down next to her.  
  
"The first thing you need to do," he said. "Is stop stressing and calm down. That's vital." He smiled at her. She smiled back and took a deep breath.   
  
"Ok," she said. "I'm calm."   
  
"Ok," James acknowledged. "Now go on. Do it. Turn the teapot into a tortoise."  
  
"James I can't!" she wailed. "That's what I'm saying." James took her hand and pulled her to her feet. He took her chin in his hand.  
  
"You CAN do it." He smiled at her, his sparkling blue eyes linked with her emerald green ones. They stood like that for a good while until Lily finally broke the moment by nodding.   
  
"Ok," she said, flicking her wand. In the place where the teapot had stood just a minute before now held a small green tortoise. She screamed. "Oh my God James! I did it." She threw her arms around him.   
  
"See?" he said. "You CAN do it." Lily smiled up at him, beguilingly, and he felt his knees weaken, slightly, as he smiled back. They spent the rest of the afternoon transfiguring various objects into other things.   
  
"It's you hand movement, Lily," James told her. "You wave your wand. You should flick it. That's why you're transfiguration often doesn't work." Lily nodded, accepting her mistakes. She waved her wand and James shook his head. "No," he said. "Let me show you." He stood behind her and took her wand hand in his. He placed his other hand on her slim waist. Lily jumped slightly at his touch, which seemed to burn her skin. He flicked her hand out, in demonstration, and she nodded and copied it, this time by herself. It worked. Silver sparkles shot out the end of her wand. She jumped and hugged James. When she was with him she felt powerful, as if she could do anything she tried. It was a feeling she had never felt before but she liked it. She smiled at him and stood back. They stared at each other for a couple of minutes and, on impulse, Lily decided to do what she knew had been at the back of her mind all day. She pulled James to her and kissed him softly, stroking the back of his neck as she did so. It was a sensation she had never gotten while kissing other boys. Even kissing Stephan, drop dead gorgeous Stephan, couldn't measure up to James' kiss. Bolts of electricity shot between them and her skin burned after James' touch. Their bodies seemed to fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Somewhere far in the back of her mind she knew what she was doing was wrong. Very wrong. But she couldn't help it. All that mattered at that moment was her and James. Eventually she pulled away.   
  
"We shouldn't be doing this," she gasped to James.   
  
"I know," he complied. He stroked her cheek, gently. "I care about Shannon and I know you do too so let's stop being stupid now." She nodded. He leaned down and kissed her once more, a lingering kiss on the lips, and turned to go. Lily breathed in, gathered up her books and, in a daze, retreated to her dorm, where she proceeded to lie on her bed deep in thought, with the draping shut. 


	8. Default chapter. ooh how original am I?

Author's note: Whew! I was soooo not expecting that to happed in the last chapter. It just came out of nowhere! I think my fingers have little brains of their own and their doing all the work while I'm just sitting here happy out and then being mondo surprised at how my chapters end up. Well I'm on a roll here so I guess I'll keep going. Enjoy! And review. : )   
  
Disclaimer: Seeing as you guys know how much I hate these things would you mind terribly if I left it out this time?……………………………………... I'd better do one just to be safe. Anything you recognize is J.K. Rowling's an everything else is mine.   
  
"Jamsie, what's wrong?" Shannon asked, smoothing down his coal black hair, which seemed to be messier than ever, if that was even possible. James had been in a minor state of depression and distress for the past week. It was obvious to everyone but no one knew why, not even Sirius, who was told everything.   
  
"Nothing," James said, using his standard reply to that question which dozens of people had asked him over and over that past week. He tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace.   
  
"James," Shannon said, seriously. "We all know there's something wrong with you and you know if you feel like talking you can always talk to me." James smiled, sincerely this time. See? That was one of the reasons he was with Shannon in the first place. Her caring nature. He nodded.   
  
"I'm fine," he choked out.   
  
"I have to go to Divination," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll see you later." He nodded as she jumped up and hurried down the hall to catch up with Mena and Kaye. In the end it wasn't her he seeked solace from. It wasn't even Sirius or Remus. It was Tara. Or maybe I should say she caught on.   
  
"James?" The tall brunette hurried down the hall after him, waving a quick goodbye to Remus. "I want to talk to you." He nodded. She grabbed his arm and led him into a circular room behind a painting of some sort of dinner, something along the lines of the last supper, just not involving Jesus, the twelve apostles or anyone like that. She sat him down on the couch and sat down next to him. "Now," she began. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Nothing," he said.   
  
"Well is there a reason you and Lily have been avoiding each other like the plague and are both in a state of insignificant state of distress? Is there something going on between you two?" she asked, warily.   
  
"That obvious?" James asked.   
  
"To me, yes," Tara responded. "So what happened?"  
  
"Well I was helping her with Transfiguration (He smiled at the thought) and we just sort of kissed. I didn't mean for it to happen, because I wouldn't hurt Shannon for the world, but it did. I couldn't help it. Tars, it felt so right!" There was a pause in the conversation. "I suppose you're gonna tell me to be a good little boy and go back to Shannon instead of ruining our relationship over a girl who I've known for less than a year, a girl who could tear up Shannon if she went out with me?" he said, bitterly.   
  
"I'm not going to tell you anything of the sort, James," Tara said, taking his hand in hers. "I'm just going to tell you to follow you're heart. I can see how you're face lights up when you talk about Lily. And I know just as well that she's mad about you. You're both great people, James, and I'd love to see you together but think it through. You don't want to lose Shannon over a little flirtation do you? Just think about it carefully, James. We'll always be here for you, no matter what you decide." And with that she stood up and walked out, leaving James on his own to ponder over what she had just said. 


	9. Default chapter (note the originality)

Author's note: Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter!!! This is probably going to be either the last or the second-last chapter. So there IS still time to get on my good list by reviewing before I finish the story. ; )  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine cept for the stuff you don't recognize which is mine. That soooo doesn't make sense. Ah well. Who cares?   
  
An anguished blonde ran through the hallways, tears streaming down her pale brown cheeks. She ran all the way to the Gryfinndor common room entrance, at which she just broke down and sobbed. She slipped, sub-consciously, to the ground and hid her face in her hands. Had it not been for two forth year boys on their way to the common room, who helped her up and managed to understand that she was looking for Lily, she would have been there all night.   
  
Her elder, poised, cousin appeared at the portrait hole, laughing, no doubt at one of Sirius' awful jokes, her auburn hair curling wildly around her face. On seeing her broken-hearted cousin she discontinued her irrepressible laughter and immediately rushed to the younger girl's side.   
  
"Shan, honey, what's wrong?" she interrogated, putting a comforting arm around the other girl.   
  
"He…he…he," Shannon stuttered, her shoulders heaving from the gasping sobs emerging from her.   
  
"He what?" Lily prompted, pulling a tissue out of her pocket and holding it up to Shannon's nose. "Blow," she directed. Shannon did so before continuing her speech.   
  
"He broke up with me," she choked out, before crying louder and harder than ever before. Lily's mouth opened and closed, making her look a bit like a fish, as she searched for something to say.   
  
"He what now?" she asked, dryly, swallowing nervously.  
  
"He broke up with me," repeated Shannon, a bit more clearly. Lily gulped for breath.   
  
"He broke UP with you? Why, um, what I mean is why?!" she demanded, seeming rather flustered. If Shannon noticed her strange manner she didn't say anything.  
  
"I don't know. He doesn't love me anymore and he wants to see other people because he feels like we're just not suited which is rubbish because he himself said to me so many times how perfect we are, sorry WERE, together……" Shannon trailed off after a long bout of incoherent rambling on her part. There was a long, uneasy silence, in which Lily fumbled for some thing to say.   
  
"I'm so sorry, Shan," was what eventually came out of her mouth, as she hugged her cousin. She patted her back, awkwardly, as the poor girl wept on her shoulder. "It'll be ok." Lily whispered all the usual things, which were meant to be a source of comfort, but somehow only made Shannon cry harder. "It really will be ok, Shannon," Lily assured, holding the girl at arm's length. "You'll find someone new. Someone who really deserves you and you'll feel special and everything you do will be special in a whole new way."  
  
"Don't you understand, Lily?" Shannon asked, briefly stopping her tears. "I DID feel special and everything I did was special…because I did it with James. I love him so much, Lily, even now and to be honest I don't know if I can live without him." And with that her howling started up again and she slipped to the ground, not realizing it was happening.   
  
James lay on his bed, wearing nothing more than a blue t-shirt and his boxer shorts. He twirled a couple of strands of shiny blond hair between his index finger and his thumb. He could remember the exact day Shannon had given it to him, the exact minute. He could remember the exact second for crying out loud! It was the summer of their one-year anniversary. Shannon was staying with her aunt and cousins (Lily) in Texas for the summer so he wouldn't be able to see her at all. It had been a gorgeously sunny day, one of the last of the year, and James and Shannon were sprawled out by the lake. Her head was resting on his stomach and his hand was gently stroking her tanned stomach.   
  
"You know I'm gonna miss you so much," James had told her.  
  
"Really?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbow. He had nodded. "Well then we'll have to do something about that," she had said, smiling. "I have an idea." She leaned over to kiss him before scrambling up and conjuring a scissors. With that she snipped a chunk of her hair off, before James could even question what she was going to do. She handed him the golden wisp with a cheery: "So you can always look at it and think of me!" to go with it. She leaned in to kiss him and it was then, right then, when time stood still and James suddenly realized just how in love with Shannon he was. He would never forget it. Never ever. Not even if he lived to be a thousand he would always remember how he felt at that exact moment and how fabulous it felt, as if he could do or take on anyone or anything as long as he had Shannon by his side.   
  
At that exact moment Shannon was, also, sitting on her bed. In front of her was a prodigious amount of photos. She sifted through them, pausing only every so often to examine one in closer detail: The one of her and James at that party at his house. They were sitting on a couch, his arm, draped around her. She was facing him, laughing as he rambled on about his annoying younger sister, Amy, waving his glass in the air. The one she had taken of James in Diagon Alley. It had always been one of her favorites. He was wearing a light blue shirt and jeans and was waving happily, as he ran to greet her, meeting up with her for the first time in nearly three weeks. She had whipped out her camera and snapped it before he had time to protest.   
  
Shannon let a single tear drip onto the pile of photos as she looked at the photo of James and Sirius, doubled up laughing. Snape was in the background, wearing something that looked suspiciously like a frilly pink party dress and bonnet and was shrieking in outrage. What have you done to me James? She asked silently.   
  
Lily slammed open the door of the 5th year boys dormitory, stormed in and banged it closed behind her again.   
  
"James?" she called before pulling open the draping of his bed. He was lying on his bed, looking at a photo of him and Shannon, holding hands as they strolled around the lake. Shannon's hand was in mid-air, illustrating a point. Lily's anger subsided as quickly as it had built up. She perched herself on the bed, next to him.   
  
"Hi Lily," he said. There was no emotion in his voice. None whatsoever. It was as if someone had sucked him dry of his feelings. His voice was dry.   
  
"James," she said weakly. "Why did you break up with Shannon? James sat up to face her. He took her hand and she didn't let go.   
  
"Lily," he said. "You have to understand. "No matter how much I loved her, and I truly, truly did, I just don't feel that buzz between us now. I don't know what happened but it's just not there. I could have stayed with her, it probably would have been easier because I care about her so much but I couldn't. I would have been living a lie. I mean why settle for second best when…" He stopped when lily put her finger to his lips.   
  
"Shhhhh," she said, in an undertone. "I understand. I truly do, James, and I respect your decision." She stood up and James stood as well. His hands trailed down to her waist and they stood like that for several moments before James leaned down and kissed Lily, tenderly, on the lips. She kissed him back, just as softly, before pulling away. "Not now James," she whispered. "It's just too soon. It would break Shannon's heart." He nodded.  
  
"I understand," he told her. "I'll still be here whenever you feel is right, Lily," he said. She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, not wanting to let go of him. One thing was for sure: she had never felt like this about anyone. She turned to leave, spotting Shannon's lock of hair on the table by his bed along with a photo of her in her favourite denim mini skirt and a skimpy red t-shirt, hands tucked into her back pocket. It WAS too soon and not only for her and Shannon but for him too. He obviously wasn't over Shannon quite yet either, whether he was aware of it or not, and Lily couldn't blame him. They had been together for four years and he would find it hard to get over his ex girlfriend no matter how he said he felt. 


	10. Default chapter. (im getting so sick of ...

Author's note: Awwwwwwwwww!!! They broke up! And I was just starting to like them as a couple. Anyways on with this story. Hope you guys like it. And if you do just click on the pretty blue box at the end of the page and leave me your wonderful comments so I can feel all big headed! (Only messing - although not about the leaving comments bit!!!!)  
  
Disclaimer: God you'd think everyone would know at this stage that the ONLY things that are mine are the characters you don't recognize and the plot!!!  
  
Lily strolled onto the platform, cool as a cucumber, dragging her overlarge trunk behind her. Her eyes roamed around the platform for a sign of one of her friends. She immediately spotted Sirius over by the train, throwing Phoebe over his shoulder, in a macho-man kind of way.   
  
"Put me down, Sirius," she howled. Lily headed over to the pair who were so obviously mad about each other and so obviously blind to the other one's feelings for them.   
  
"Hey guys," she said, coolly.   
  
"Petal!" exclaimed Sirius, in delight, putting Phoebe down gently. She stumbled, slightly, as Sirius grabbed Lily in a hug.   
  
"What are you trying to do to me, Black?" wheezed Lily when he let go of her. "Kill me?" Her hand was clutched to her chest in an over-dramatic matter as she spluttered.   
  
"Never, Lily flower," Sirius enunciated. "I would never try to kill you."  
  
"Oh my God, guys, it's our last year!" Alyson wailed, running, as agilely as was possible, over to them.  
  
"Oh my God! Repeated Lily, coming into realization that after this year it would be the end. They would be out into the big, bad world, all by themselves. Phoebe whimpered, slightly, as if thinking the exact same thing. Lily, Phoebe and Alyson exchanged sorrowful glances and could well have burst into emotional tears had not Tara and Remus sauntered up to the group, hands entwined.   
  
"Hiya!" Tara sang out cheerily. Lily, Alyson and Phoebe glanced at her and back at each other, before bursting into cachinnations, for a reason unknown, even to them.   
  
"Our last trip to Hogwarts on the train!" cried Tara, as the group settled into a compartment.   
  
"So we still have the journey HOME on the train," Sirius pointed out.   
  
"It's so not the same, Black." Phoebe jumped into the conversation.   
  
"Hey guys!" James appeared at the doorway, looking even more gorgeous than usual if that was possible, with Peter in tow.   
  
"Hey James," replied Phoebe, argument with Sirius long forgotten.   
  
"James." Lily looked at him, a millisecond too long and nodded. "Looking good, Pete," she said to Peter, who beamed. "Did you grow over the summer?" The boys squashed themselves into the already packed compartment and Sirius instantly began to reveal his plan for their final year, which included Snape a number of times, Malfoy, and something to do with sparkly unicorns, pictures of pretty gardens and an outsize jar of pickles. James laughed good-naturedly.   
  
"Chock it down a bit, Padfoot, old buddy," James said. "I'm head boy this year so…" he began.   
  
"So we can have even more fun," Sirius finished. "Excellent!"  
  
"Are you really?" Lily interrupted her own conversation with the girls to glance at James, almost weirdly. He looked at her, twinkling blue eyes entwining with her deep pools of emerald. He nodded, almost subliminally. The others exchanged knowing glances.   
  
"Um that's cool," Lily replied, breaking the moment by looking at her feet, which sported what looked like new shoes. "I guess we'll be spending even more time together this year so," she told him. "Cos I'm head girl." Phoebe jumped up and squealed and Tara and Alyson clapped their hands, delightedly.   
  
"Are you really? You never told us!" said Alyson, almost accusingly. Lily laughed.   
  
"It slipped my mind," she confessed. "Besides I was a bit surprised. I mean I've only been here two years. I didn't expect it at all."   
  
"Ooh looks like Prongsy and Petal here will be spending a loooooot more time together this year. Whether its on "official head people business" or not," he suggested, winking at Lily. "If you know what I mean."  
  
"Shut up, Siri. We all know you're really talking about yourself and Phoebs," Lily retorted.   
  
"Lily, dawling," drawled Sirius, before Phoebe could say anything. "I have no idea what you're talking about. After all me and Phoebe aren't head girl and boy now are we?" He grinned, wickedly.   
  
"You know what I mean, dawling," Lily mimicked.   
  
"It's 100% perceptible that the two of you are head over heels in like with each other!" Peter agreed.   
  
"Remus would you stop teaching him big words before he chokes on one," snapped Phoebe, reddening slightly. There was a lull in the conversation.  
  
"He's right, though, you…" Tara started again.   
  
"Shut up," Phoebe ordered.   
  
"They…" Alyson said.   
  
"Shut-up," Phoebe said again, folding her arms and sinking into a noiseless sulk.   
  
Her sulk, however, was forgotten by the time they reached Hogwarts. The ceiling of the great hall looked prettier than ever this year if that was possible. And was it just them or did the plates and goblets look shinier than ever before? After the feast (which somehow seemed like the best thing they had ever eaten!!) Dumbledore stood up.   
  
"I'd just like to say a few things before you head off to bed," he said, eyes twinkling, as per usual. He read out the usual list of rules, eyes flashing over to Sirius as he did so. "I'd also just like to introduce our head boy and girl this year," he announced, as a buzz of chat built up around the room. The students fell silent again. "This year both are from Gryfinndor and I'm sure they'll be absolutely wonderful. They are Mr. James Potter and Ms. Lily Pot-Evans." His face hid the barest trace of a smile, as he called upon the pair to come up and say a few words. James leaned easily against the teacher's table and exchanged a secret smile with Lily, which was so obviously only meant for the two of them and which people like Tara, Alyson, Phoebe, Remus, Shannon, even Sirius couldn't fail to notice.   
  
"Lily." Shannon tugged on her cousin's sleeve, after Lily had said her bit. "I have to talk to you," she half whispered, half choked out.   
  
"Oh my God, Shan, is everything ok?" she asked the younger girl, pulling her out into the hallway.   
  
"Well I'm not sure," Shannon said. "Lily, I know you love James," she blurted out, as tears formed in her eyes. "And I know he loves you." Lily looked at her cousin, sadly.   
  
"Shan, I don't love James," Lily assured her cousin.   
  
"Lily, you don't have to hide it from me," Shannon said, blinking to avoid letting the tears, which were threatening to drip down her cheeks, fall. "I can see it."   
  
"Shannon." Lily put her hands on Shannon's shoulders. "I like James," she admitted. A lot."  
  
"I know," Shannon whispered, almost inaudibly.   
  
"But I don't love him," continued the fiery haired girl. "And I'm not about to do anything that's going to hurt you." Shannon blinked several times.   
  
"Please Lily do what makes you happy," Shannon said. "I can't be the one to stand in the way of you and James. He's not mine to have and if anyone else is going to have him I want it to be someone like you, Lily." She stared her cousin straight in the eye. "I love him so much Lily, even now after a year, but he's yours to have if you want him. It'll be hard for me," she admitted. "But it would be harder knowing that I had stood in the way of you two." Lily looked at her cousin, with tears in her eyes. She reached out and hugged her favourite cousin, who let the hot tears spill out, before turning and walking down the hallway, each step more painful than the last. She was facing a bleak future without James. She knew after that conversation she would never get him back but she waited until she was out of Lily's sight before breaking down and crying so hard her shoulders heaved.   
  
Lily climbed, almost dejectedly, through the portrait hole. She could already hear the Marauders being disorderly and boisterous. Under normal circumstances that would have been enough to make her smile but not now. Right now she just felt like a traitor. She felt like she had betrayed Shannon, no matter what anyone told her. Shannon was still in bits over James, no matter how much she tried to hide it, it was still obvious to Lily, and by admitting to her that she liked him Lily felt like she was responsible for all Shannon's pain. It was true she was crazy about James and it was obvious that he was just as crazy about her. For them, sixth year had been a mass of flirtation, sexual tension and the odd stolen kiss when they just couldn't control themselves. Lily was falling fast and, somewhere, deep inside, she could feel that it would just end in severe pain but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Love wasn't something you could control. It just didn't work that was, no matter how much she wished that it did.   
  
"Lilsy!" Sirius called when he saw her heading their way, pushing her hair off her face. Lily immediately put on her "happy face."   
  
"Sirius, what is it with you and all the insane nicknames?" she demanded, with a lot more feeling than she actually felt. She flopped onto the floor, with her front to her friends and her back to the fire. Sirius shrugged and sat down on a two-seater next, a bit too close actually, to Phoebe. Within seconds he had made her laugh and when Sirius, ladies man - as always, had made a lady happy he was happy. Remus and Tara were, once again lost in their own little world. It was funny, Lily thought, how they could be all jokey one minute and so in love the next with all their private signals and little nicknames. Must be nice, she contemplated, being with your soulmate. The two were so obviously soulmates. With them, it was as if they had been put on earth solely to make the other happy. To complete the other one. To make each day worth getting up for. She watched as Remus whispered something into Tara's ear and then kissed her neck, softly. Sirius and Phoebe were still sitting next to each other on the couch, closer than ever before. Was it just her or did they seem to be touching each other, very discreetly of course, a lot more than was normal? It was so obvious that something was going to happen between the two of them, soon. Some day now their hormones would just break free and Lily was willing to bet her life that it would be soon. She glanced at Peter. Even Peter had found someone. She was a sixth year Gryfinndor, Katie Cunningham. Ok the pair were not as lovey dovey as Remus and Tara or as flirtatious and obviously giving each other strong signals as Sirius and Phoebe were. Neither believed in soulmates as it was and they seemed content with each other so what was the harm in giving their relationship a go? Lily looked at James. He hadn't dated anyone since breaking up with Shannon. From time to time he seemed to be in a total state of depression but he didn't seem to be suffering too badly as a result. Lily looked over at him, got up after a slight hesitation and sat down next to him, tentatively.   
  
"Hi," she said. James looked at her, longingly.   
  
"Hi," he replied. Previously all wrapped up in each other; their friends noticed this exchange straight away. Not just the exchange of words but the exchange of looks. They looked at each other so longingly, eyes full of want, that it would make your heart ache to look at them.   
  
"Good summer?" James asked Lily, preferring to stay with "safe" conversation.   
  
"Not bad," Lily replied. Their fingers brushed and sizzles of electricity were exchanged between them. They stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before Lily stood up, eyes not leaving James for even a second, and announced to the group, stuttering slightly, that she was going to bed. She slumped down outside the door and buried her face in her hands, not knowing what she was going to do about her feelings. She had NEVER felt this way before and it, truly, scared her.   
  
"Inside the common room, James stared at the fire for almost three seconds after Lily left before standing up, also, and muttering something about getting an early night. The others exchanged knowing glances.   
  
"Oh my God, Lily, are you ok?" James asked, when he found Lily sitting out side the door, heart-broken. She stood up and faced him.   
  
"No, James," she replied. "I'm not ok." She looked at him, not understanding how he could make her feel things she had never felt before. "I'm sick of it, James. I want you so bad that it hurts me inside and that scares me." They looked at each other.   
  
"You can have me," James said, almost under his breath.   
  
"We have to talk properly," Lily said. "Let's not rush into things," she said, taking his hand and leading him to the head boy and girls private bathrooms. No sooner had she sat down on the edge of the bath before she hopped up again. "Forget it," she said, walking up to him, almost seductively, and slamming him up against the wall and kissing him so tenderly, yet so passionately at the same time. His hands roamed around her slender body, burning her skin. Her hands slipped up his t-shirt as she pulled him closer to her and deepened their kiss. It was only when they fell to the floor that James pulled away, panting heavily, hands resting somewhere that, for a first "proper" kiss, they probably shouldn't have been.   
  
"Let's not get carried away," he told her, although loving the feel of her body on top of his.   
  
"Your right," she said, standing up and pulling James up with her. Her hands snaked their way around his waist, as if afraid to let go of him. James took her hand.  
  
"Let's go for a walk," he suggested. "It might clear my head." So they set off. And that was how they found themselves sitting, half on top of each other, by the lake at two in the morning.   
  
"I don't know how to explain it," James told her. "You make my head spin in a good way. It's like when I'm with you I lose all sense of logic. I just want to wrap my arms around your waist and stay that way forever." Lily nodded. "I feel something I never felt with anyone else," he continued. "Not even Shannon," he added. Lily nodded.   
  
"My turn," she said. "I've never felt like this before, James," she started. "It feels so weird. When I'm with you I feel like I could do anything I wanted. I feel powerful and every time I look at you I keep falling harder and harder for you." She looked him straight in the eye. "I don't want to hurt Shannon but right now it's me I'm thinking of. Your all I want right now and I can't risk losing you."  
  
"I'm yours," James told her. "Now and always." He leaned over and kissed her so hard they toppled over.   
  
"Ahhhh," cried Phoebe in delight. She had Sirius were up in the Astronomy tower, watching James tickle Lily, from a Birdseye view. "That is so cute!"   
  
"I know," Sirius answered, sounding, surprisingly, serious for what could most probably have been the first time in his life. On impulse he reached out and grabbed Phoebe's waist. He pulled her to him and kissed her.   
  
"Sirius?" Phoebe asked, shakily as they pulled apart. She touched her lips in shock. "What was that for?" Sirius shrugged.   
  
"I'm crazy about you," he told her, simply.   
  
"Sirius, you silly fool, why didn't you tell me before?!" she demanded.   
  
"Because, my dear, it's only just occurred to me," he answered, smiling widely. She giggled as he pulled her to him again.  
  
"I'm crazy about you too," she whispered into his ear just before he kissed her again.   
  
  
  
A/N: Well THAT certainly wasn't going to happen there. That chapter just came out by itself. Well I guess its what you guys have been waiting for but don't worry the story isn't over. There's still more to come! Whoopee!!! Actually the reason theres more to come isn't for you guys who love it so much (well it is in a way) It's actually cos I love it so much and I can't bear to stop writing it! READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	11. Default chapter

A/N: Right this is the, lets see. . . . . . . . . . . . . . second or third last chapter. I THINK. I REALLY hope you guys are enjoying this. Well lets see what happens in this chapter cos I haven't a clue. I have a faint (VERY faint) idea but I dunno my typing fingers will probably just twist everything up again.   
  
Disclaimer: See previous chapters! I'm getting really sick of writing these things.   
  
  
From that day on Lily and James were considered inspirable. Every waking moment they had was spent together. Holding hands through the hallways, sneaky kisses in between classes, one was never seen without the other. It was sweet. Sickeningly sweet as Phoebe had remarked to Alyson just the day before. Phoebe and Sirius had decided to "see" each other but not exclusively, therefore giving neither a reason to be jealous on seeing the other with someone else.   
  
Shannon looked at herself in the mirror. She looked AWFUL! Her blond hair was lank and stuck up in directions she hadn't known it could go, her skin was pasty, their were big purplish/blue bags under her eyes, which by the way looked hollow, and she was getting horribly thin. It wasn't just in her appearance she was suffering, however. Her grades were suffering on top of that. Deep inside she knew it was because of James and Lily. Lily and James who had all of a sudden become closerthanthis. No matter what she said to Lily or any of her friends she couldn't bear seeing her favourite cousin and her ex-boyfriend, whom she still loved madly, truly, deeply, together. It was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. Watch them as they held hands on their way to classes or make kissy-kissy faces at each other from opposite sides of the table at dinner. She was just grateful that she wasn't in Gryfinndor. Nothing would have been worse than seeing Lily perched on his lap or lying sprawled out on top of him as they lay on a couch, talking to their friends in between little kisses.   
  
"Shannon, I'm sorry but you look terrible," Mena commented, coming out of the bathroom. She looked the picture of health with her dark wavy hair freshly washed and brushed and her eyes sparkling. "Oh my God, you've lost so much weight!" she cried, her hand flying up to her mouth. Shannon hurriedly pulled on her robe, which hung off her. "You're skin and bone, girl. Shannon?" She eyed her friend. "Are you anorexic?" Shannon burst into tears.   
  
"Mena!" she sobbed. "I can't handle it anymore. Seeing them together, doing all the same things WE used to do rips up my heart. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I feel like crying all the time and worst of all my grades are slipping. I just can't concentrate! He destroyed me, Mena! That asshole destroyed me!" She bawled even louder as her friend comforted her.   
  
"Lily?" Mena approached Shannon's cousin later on, after insisting that Shannon skip classes today and stay in bed to try and get some sleep. "Can I talk to you for just a minute?" Lily untangled James' arms from around her waist.   
  
"Sure Mena," she said, walking over to the girl. "Where's Shannon today?" she asked, cheerily.   
  
"Well that's sorta what I wanted to talk to you about," Mena said, hesitantly. Lily nodded.   
  
"She's not doing too well, Lily," blurted out Shannon's friend. "She's can't sleep or eat, I fact I think she's heading towards anorexia." Lily gasped. "She doesn't take care of her appearance anymore and her grades have slipped further than I even thought was possible," explained Mena.   
  
"Oh my God," Lily breathed. "Because of James?" she whispered, dreading the answer. Mena nodded slowly. Lily buried her head in her hand.   
  
"Now don't get me wrong Lily. I think you and James are an adorable couple and I can see Shannon is trying to be happy for you two but it's breaking her heart into millions of little pieces." Lily nodded and gulped back the knot in her throat. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. James meant so much to her!   
  
"I'll talk to James about it," she whispered, unable to talk properly in case the hot tears spilled out down her cheeks. Mena nodded.   
  
"I'm sorry Lily," she said, biting her lip.   
  
"It's ok. I knew this would happen I just didn't want to believe it." Lily walked back to James, deciding to keep this nugget of information to herself until she had talked to Shannon.   
  
It wasn't until Shannon passed out, just utterly collapsed from exhaustion and starvation, that Lily decided she really would have to do something about it. She slipped James a note telling him to meet her that night in the charms classroom and spent the day with Phoebe, Alyson and Tara, both to inform them on what she was doing and to avoid James, much as she didn't want to.   
  
Seeing James sitting on the table she sat at with him to her left and Alyson to her right, twisted her heart a little. She took a deep breath, realizing she HAD to do this. She was stronger than Shannon. James face split into a grin when he saw her approaching and moved to kiss her.   
  
"No, James," she said. "Not now. I have to talk to you." He nodded, on sight of how serious her face had become. "James…I…we…" she began stuttering. "What I mean is…"  
  
"Just tell me, Lily," James said. "I'm beginning to get worried." He laughed, uneasily.   
  
"We have to break up, James," she blurted out, looking at his feet and allowing the tears to start rolling down her cheeks.   
  
"We what?" he said, disbelievingly.   
  
"We have to break up," she repeated. "Shannon is destroyed over our relationship. I just can't do this to her anymore. It's not very fair to her. I hate doing this James but I have to." James looked at his girlfriend.   
  
"Lily, you can't be serious? Please don't do this," he begged.   
  
"I am serious and I have to James. It's for the bet anyway." She turned to leave but James grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  
  
"Please Lily! I…I…I love you," he stammered, linking his blue eyes, which seemed to have lost their sparkle, with her emerald ones.   
  
"I love you too James," Lily answered, throwing her arms around him and kissing him deeply, one last time. "I love you so much but I CAN'T do this anymore. I'm so sorry." James nodded and stormed out of the classroom. Lily stood there alone, clutching her arm, sobbing. "I love you James," she whispered into the darkness. "I love you." Her voice trailed away.   
  
Author's note: Ohhhhh. That was so unbelievably sad to write. I don't want them to break up!!! They're a dotey couple!!! I want them to stay together. Well once again I wasn't expecting that to happen!!!! Silly me, eh?  
  
Disclaimer: See previous chapters and don't sue me!!! 


	12. Default chapter (Oh God I feel sick - i ...

"Shannon?" Shannon forced her eyes open. Everything around her was blurry. She could see a mass of fiery red curls above her. Lily! She blinked and waited until everything came into focus.   
  
"Lily?" Shannon struggled out her cousin's name. Lily nodded. Shannon looked around. "Oh my God," she said. "Why am I here? How long have I been here?"   
  
"Shan, you're here because you passed out from exhaustion and starvation. Look at yourself. You're skin and bone. Shannon you HAVE to start eating again. If you don't you'll get anorexia. Shan. I'm begging you!" Shannon nodded slowly.   
  
"How long have I been here?" she asked again, urgently.   
  
"About a week or so…" Lily begun to answer before Shannon cut in.   
  
"A WEEK!" she shrieked, hysterically. "A whole week. I've missed so much school. I'm going to flunk everything." And with that she began to sob. "Lily I lied!" she burst out. "I lied and lied and look where it got me!"   
  
"Lied about what?" Lily asked, gently, stroking Shannon's blond hair as a means of comfort.   
  
"You and James," Shannon said, not noticing how Lily's face drooped at the mention of her and James. "I'm so sorry, Lil, but I can't handle seeing you two together. It hurts too bad!"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Shannon," Lily said. "Um we broke up." Shannon stopped crying, momentarily.   
  
"You didn't do it because of me, Lily, did you? Please say you didn't," she begged. "I don't want to be the cause of that!" She looked at Lily, pleadingly.   
  
"No, Shan, nothing like that," lied Lily. "We just…weren't meant to be," Lily said sadly. "Now all YOU have to concentrate on is getting better," Lily told her with fake perkiness.  
  
And so Shannon concentrated on getting better and Lily concentrated on everything except James. She threw herself into her work and friends but he still seemed to be everywhere, looking right through her as if she were invisible. It hurt more than anything else, Lily realized. But she knew it was the right thing to do, no matter ho much it hurt her.   
  
"Lily are you ok?" Phoebe twirled into the room, just back after a date with Sirius, to find her friend just lying on her bed, staring into space. She wasn't crying she was just…lying there. She flopped onto the floor net to her friend's bed.   
  
"I'm fine." Lily sighed. "Just fine."   
  
"Come on, let's go to Hogsmeade," suggested Phoebe, trying to cheer her friend up. It had been just over two months since Lily and James had split up and Lily wasn't faring very well. Oh she wasn't falling to pieces as Shannon had done, nor was she on top of the world. She was resting, peacefully, in between. "We'll find Tars and Aly and we'll have a girly night out, ok?" Lily nodded and jumped off the bed.  
  
"Sounds good to me," she said, pulling open the doors of her wardrobe. The four friends hadn't been out together in quite a while, what with Tara spending all her time with Remus and Phoebe spending the majority of her time with Sirius. It was usually just Lily and Alyson who hung out together now. They had become a hell of a lot closer in the past couple of months and Lily had found her to be a great source of comfort to her. Of course there were those days when Alyson had something that jut DESPRETELY needed doing and the ones where Lily snapped at everyone and just wanted to be alone. And who could blame them?  
  
So that was how the foursome found themselves staggering down the street of Hogsmeade about two hours later, gasping with laughter.   
  
"I haven't laughed that much since the time we blew Peter up!" commented Tara. The four exchanged glances and burst into laughter again, remembering the sight of a bright purple Peter floating around somewhere near the ceiling!   
  
"C'mon let's get a butterbeer or something," Alyson said, once they were on their way to recovery. And so they strolled towards the three broomsticks, not knowing exactly what was waiting for them there. They walked inside the homely little pub, letting out little giggles every so often. It was Alyson who noticed them first. She nudged Tara ever so slightly in the ribs and nodded towards the far corner of the pub. Tara glanced in the direction Alyson was frantically nodding towards and let out a little gasp. Lily and Phoebe made their way up to the bar to get the butterbeers and swung around to search for a table once they were ordered. It was just about then that they too spotted the two dark-haired boys in the corner. It was without a doubt Sirius and James. That was fairly normal. After all James and Sirius came to Hogsmeade at least every second night. What was different about it was the fact that they were sitting with two girls. Lily recognized them immediately as two seventh years, one from Ravenclaw and the other from Hufflepuff. The skinny, tanned brunette, perched in James' lap, was from Ravenclaw and the other one with frothy blonde curls, who was so obviously Sirius' date, was the Hufflepuff.  
  
"I will not be jealous. I will not be jealous. I will not be jealous," Phoebe chanted, closing her eyes as she remembered her and Sirius' agreement to have an open relationship. Lily gulped. The bottle of butterbeer in her hand slipped and crashed to the ground. Shards of broken glass flew everywhere. It was then that James and Sirius first noticed the girls and it was then that Lily decided that she couldn't handle it anymore. She ran out the door, determined not to let the pain she was feeling show. Now she knew how Shannon felt and, boy, it didn't feel good! Tara and Alyson followed her out and Phoebe made her way over to James and Sirius. She ignored Sirius, completely.   
  
"Not cool, James," was all she said to the other boy before following her friends out the door and calling a hurried "I'm sorry for the disturbance" over her shoulder to the shocked customers.   
  
Author's note: I really should be getting used to these little surprises, shouldn't I? Ah well. Keep reading and reviewing. And remember the more reviews I get the faster these chapters will be coming up. You know I thought this would be finished in this chapter or the next one but the way things are happening right now I don't think that's going to happen.   
  
Disclaimer: Right, anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me. I repeat NOT me. Anything else (e.g. Phoebe, Tara and Alyson) is mine. Miney miney miney!!! 


	13. Default chapter.

Author's note: I'm sorry about the crapness of the last chapter and I know that under normal circumstances James probably wouldn't have been out with someone else only two months after breaking up with someone that he had loved but you know the story was getting a little bit dull so my fingers decided to liven it up a bit. Ok that sounds soooo bad but on with the story anyway!  
  
Disclaimer: Characters like James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, etc belong to J.K Rowling and other characters, such as Phoebe, Tara and Alyson, are miiiiiiiiiiiiine. As is the plot. : )  
  
  
  
Lily ran. She didn't know where exactly she was running to. Just away. She ran all the way up the way to Honeydukes, in the window and up the muddy hill leading to the one-eyed witch. She didn't stop running until she reached the head girl and boy's private bathroom, where she sank onto the floor and leaned her head against the bath. She hit the side of the bath, angrily, as the tears began to fall. She wiped them away, angrily. Why should she sit here crying when he was most probably still in Hogsmeade with his slut? She shouldn't feel this way. She got up and wiped away the last of her tears, determined to get back at James or die trying. Storming out the door she didn't notice the tall dark-haired youth coming towards her and crashed into him. James. She whispered his name, as she looked at him. She pushed him out of the way and kept walking.   
  
"Lily," he called after her. "Lily?" She just kept right on walking. "Lily?" he called one last time, just before she disappeared into the darkness. What have you done James? He asked himself, silently.   
  
"Lily?" Mc Gonagall called her up to her desk, after a thoroughly grueling class. Lily went.   
  
"I know I wasn't concentrating properly, Professor," she began before Mc Gonagall could open her mouth. "But I promise I'll be better next time." She looked pleadingly up at the Professor, who smiled.   
  
"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about Lily. Professor Dumbledore wants to see both you and Mr. Potter in his office this evening." Lily nodded. "Could you inform James?" Lily nodded again, rolling her eyes, inwardly.   
  
"Thank you Professor," she said, slipping out of the room. That evening she approached James for the first time in a little less than a week.   
  
"Hi Lily," James smiled, almost pleadingly at her. Lily smiled, coolly, at him.   
  
"Meeting tonight in Dumbledore's office. Eight o clock. Password is Butter nuggets. Don't be late." And with that she strolled over to the portrait hole and climbed out. James sighed, sadly, as he looked after her.   
  
"Hey Lil," he said, as they waited in Dumbledore's office for the headmaster to arrive.   
  
"James." She nodded at him and continued to glance around the room, in fascination.   
  
"Sorry I'm late." Dumbledore breezed into the room. "Have a seat." He drew up two chairs, with his wand, and pulled them out of thin air. They clattered to the ground. Lily, immediately, pulled hers as far away as possible from James and seated herself, crossing her legs. James glanced, sorrowfully at her, before, also, seating himself and turning his full attention to Dumbledore. "Now as you both know, Christmas is approaching rapidly, and some of the students have begged me to hold a ball, and I, being the soft-hearted creature I am (his eyes twinkled at this and his mouth curled into a smile) could not refuse. Now it is your duty, as head boy and girl to arrange the whole thing. The two of you and your selective partners will dance the first dance but the rest is up to you. I believe you have about a month and a half to organize it. It will be held on Christmas Eve." James nodded, as did Lily, looking pained at the thought of working with James on this thing.   
  
"So, a dance, eh?" James said, when they stood outside the door.   
  
"Well done," snapped Lily. "You noticed." James ignored her outburst, though he was groaning inside.   
  
"So who are you going to take?" he queried.   
  
"I don't know, Potter," Lily answered. "And even if I did it'd be none of your business. I suppose you'll be taking your latest slut, eh?" she snarled and began to storm away.   
  
"Lily what is UP with you?" James asked, in amazement, pulling her back to him.   
  
"Nothing," she said, quite nicely. TOO nicely. "Except for the fact that we've barely broken up and you're all over someone else already," she said, coolly.   
  
"Hey," James protested. "That's not exactly my fault." Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm not the one who broke up with you and you know it so theres no point in coming up to me and roaring at me over this, that and the other when I'm trying to get on with my life." They stood glaring at each other.  
  
"Fine," Lily said, shortly. She walked away. James stared after her. He would never figure out this girl, even if he lived to be a thousand, so why was he still so attracted to her?   
  
"James." Lily approached him the next day. "We have to organize this ball thing," she said, breezily. "Half eight in the library?" She waited for him to nod before walking away. James watched her retreating back, wanting nothing more than to jump up, run after her and wrap his arms around her waist and never let go of her again.   
  
"James stop staring at Lily's ass! Snap out of it boy!" Sirius exclaimed. James shook his head and gave Sirius a wry glance.  
  
"Haha Sirius," he snapped, letting his head drop into his arms. "What the hell am I going to do?" he mumbled.   
  
"You're late," snapped Lily, when James finally showed up at twenty to nine, all of 10 minutes late.   
  
"I was busy," he replied, trying desperately to convince himself he wasn't crazy for this girl.   
  
"Doing what - screwing your slut?" She cocked her head to one side and smiled, sweetly.   
  
"Enough, Lily," James shouted. "Enough. I'm sick of your constant snide remarks. Screw this and screw you." He stood up and began to storm away. Lily followed him and grabbed his arm with one hand. He shook it off.   
  
"You're right, James," she shouted after his back. He turned around.   
  
"What did you say?" he asked.   
  
"You're right," she repeated, regaining her composure. She gave him a half smile. "I'm sorry," she said, quietly. James walked back to her and stood in front of her. She looked up at him and smiled.   
  
"Are you?" he asked. She nodded and took a deep breath.   
  
"I guess I was just jealous," she admitted. "Because I still really like you and I just didn't want to…to lose you." She looked down at her feet. He took her chin in his hand.   
  
"You will NEVER lose me Lily," he told her, looking her straight in the eye. "I promise. The only way you could do that is by acting like an idiot the way you have been lately." She nodded and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. James leaned down and kissed her on the lips, in a sort of…brotherly manner. "Lily," he said, holding her hands in his. "If I can't be with you I want to be friends with you. Could we try that, huh?" Lily looked up at him and nodded.   
  
"Of course," she replied, hoarsely. "I AM sorry I've been acting so childish lately. I don't know what got into me." She hugged him.  
  
"So what do you say we go organize this ball?" James suggested. Lily nodded and followed him to the library, letting out a deep breath she didn't know she had been holding.   
  
Two hours, hundreds of sheets of parchment, two pairs of ink-stained hands and several boxes of Bertie Botts every flavour beans later Lily and James had completed about 2 tenths of their preparation for the ball.   
  
"Oh my God I didn't think being head girl would involve so much work," gasped Lily as she stumbled out of the library. "I thought it was one of those cushy jobs. You know ordering around the lesser mortals?" James laughed.   
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Evans," he said. "Being head girl isn't all its cracked up to be."   
  
"Well all I can say is all our planning and preparation better be worth it."   
  
"Oh believe me, it will," James said softly. "I have a feeling this will be a night to remember," he told her before sauntering away. Lily turned to go to her dorm, not quite understanding where her sudden inability to breathe had come from.   
  
The next day Lily lay in her bed, twirling strands of her fiery hair around and around. Why was it that when James was around she couldn't breath, much less think? Why did he have that effect on her that so few boys possessed? And why was it that the one boy who DID possess it was off-limits. A sharp knock at the door broke Lily's train of thought.   
  
"Come in," she called, pulling the blanket up around her. James poked his head around the door and peered into the, almost deserted, dormitory. Lily beckoned him to come over.   
  
"Hey Lils," he said, strolling over to the side of her bed and sitting down on the edge. He looked at her. "What are you doing still in bed at a quarter past twelve on a Saturday morning? Did you forget we have a ball to plan? Where is everyone anyway?" he finished his string of questions with a charming smile, which made Lily go weak at the knees. Just as well she was lying down! She propped herself up on her elbow.   
  
"I'm thinking," she answered softly. "And NO I didn't forget we have a ball to plan! And I haven't the foggiest where the others are," she finished, hopping out of bed, blanket still around her. James hooked the corner of the blanket with his thumb and it tumbled to the ground leaving Lily with nothing covering her other than her short, sleeveless nightdress. James grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him, roughly.   
  
"James don't do this." Lily giggled nervously.   
  
"Do what?" he growled. "This?" He leaned down and kissed her, hard. Lily couldn't fight it and what was more she didn't want to. She melted into his body, feeling, once again, as if she belonged there.   
  
"Exactly that," she said, weakly, when James let go of her. She stared at him.   
  
"I'm sorry, Lily." James started apologizing, profusely.   
  
"Damn it, James!" swore Lily, stamping her foot. "Why are you doing this? I'm TRYING to get over you but your not making it very easy for me." She glared at him.   
  
"I'm not trying to," James whispered, breathing kisses onto her bare shoulders.  
  
"Enough James. I have to fight this," Lily said, letting her "sensible" half take over and manage to push him away. She pulled on some clothes. "Let's just go to the common room and plan this ball, ok?" she demanded. He nodded and followed her down, smiling, almost wolfishly, behind her back. He was willing to do anything to get the girl he loved back and if it included teasing her, like he was, so be it!  
  
Author's note: Ooh looks like James is getting pretty desperate! Bless him! Ok I have a feeling this story isn't going to be finished half as quickly as I had originally planned! Ah well. Read and review and keep me happy. 


	14. Default chapter (what ELSE would I have ...

Authors note: I have nothing to say to you people who aren't reviewing my fic! To those of you who are (*smiles sweetly*) I love you!   
  
Disclaimer: You know I really hate these things. They're stupid and pointless. I mean all you guys KNOW I'm not going to use the characters which don't belong to me to make money or whatever the hell this shit is used to prevent. And you also know that I'll break you're faces if you take something of mine without permission. If you want it just ASK. Now that I'm finished my ranting and raving…….*smiles innocently*  
  
  
Lily sat on a couch in the common room, flicking through several sheets of parchment covered with scribbles and ideas for the ball. She tucked her hair behind her ears and, absentmindedly, took a bite of an apple, which was lying next to her. All her friends were at dinner, which Lily had to skip what with the ball approaching rapidly. It was James' night off (to prevent exhaustion and overworking they had come up with a timetable that allowed them to have one or two nights off a week and the rest of the time they worked together) and Lily knew exactly where he was. In Hogsmeade with Lucy, a pretty sixth year Gryfinndor. She was jealous, crazy jealous if truth be told, but she knew she had to put up with it. Shannon was making unbelievable progress. She was getting counseling to get James out of her system and it was working! Lily didn't want to mess it all up again. The portrait hole burst open and, as if it were a conspiracy, James and Lucy stumbled in, clutching hands and giggling madly. Lily flipped her manuscript closed and stood up as James glanced at her and kissed Lucy softly. She gathered up all her books, prevented herself from looking at the couple.   
  
"Air," she choked, to the couple, who were beginning to stare. James hid a grin. "I need air." And she stumbled out the portrait hole and sank onto the ground outside it. She sighed and set up her books and parchment around her and got back to work. She knew what James was trying to do. He was trying to make her jealous and it was working. But she wouldn't let herself give into him. She refused to! She picked up her quill and let it fly across the page as she thought of ideas for the ball.   
  
On estimate, an hour later, James appeared in front of her. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed.   
  
"What are you doing out here, Lily?" he asked, smirking, slightly.   
  
"Trying to get some work done without distraction," Lily answered, not taking the time to look up. James nodded and sat down next to her. Lily continued to write as James looked over her shoulder. Eventually Lily turned her head, slightly, to face him. "What exactly do you want, James?" she asked.   
  
"To spend time with you," he replied, smiling at her. Lily smiled back, looking into his sparkling eyes, which she had always loved so much. She leaned towards him, ever so slightly, as he did the same but several pairs of feet running towards the portrait hole interrupted them. Lily snapped out of it and shook her head.   
  
"Stupid first years," she commented, stifling a yawn. She tucked her hair behind her ears and yawned again.   
  
"Lily all this planning is going to wear you out," James said, as she began to write again. "Take a break and come for a walk with me."   
  
"I can't," Lily said, shaking her head to prevent herself from falling asleep. "I have to finish this."   
  
"Lily, number one, you're going to collapse if you keep pushing yourself to the limit. Number two, you're miles ahead of yourself and number three, I REALLY want you to come for a walk with me," he begged. He gave her his puppy dog eyes when she looked at him. She laughed. James looked at her and smiled. God he loved that girl! He leaned towards her for the second time that night but she stepped back, shaking her head.   
  
"I don't think that walk is such a good idea, James," she said, softly. She kissed him, in a totally sisterly way, on the cheek and turned to go up to the dorm. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and kept going.   
  
So for the next few weeks James and Lily worked like hell at the ball, without any of the previous events coming close to repeating themselves again. Lily made sure of that. She and James worked diligently together for the two hours a night, they had stripped their working time together and that was that. Lily had realized, sadly, that being friends with an ex was close to impossible especially when the ex was James Potter and determined to get her back.  
  
"Lily?" James and Lily were sitting in the library, making the final preparations for the ball, which was happening that day week. Lily's head snapped up to find Jake Matthews, a really cute Ravenclaw seventh year, who Lily only knew through her History of magic class, standing in front of her, looking at her, unsurely.   
  
"Yea?" she asked him, jotting down something on the parchment in front of her.   
  
"Could I talk to you?" he asked, hesitantly.   
  
"Sure!" Lily nodded and put down her quill. She looked at him, expectantly.   
  
"Um, alone?" he asked, glancing at James who seemed to be working away. He looked up briefly.   
  
"Oh, of course," Lily said, getting up, looking slightly flustered. She got up and followed him to the corner of the library, without a backward glance at James who was scribbling across the parchment.   
  
James read over what he had just written but it didn't seem to be sinking in. He glanced over at Lily and Jake. Lily was nodding, smiling and…flirting? James flushed. What the hell could Matthews possibly want to talk to her about? He was about to find out. Lily walked back to the table, unable to keep the smile off her face. She tucked her hair behind her ears and sat down.   
  
"Interesting," she said, picking up her quill.   
  
"What's interesting?" James asked. "What did Matthews want to talk to you about?"  
  
"Oh that. Um, well, he just asked me to go to the ball with him." She smiled.   
  
"And what did you say?" James demanded.   
  
"I said yes," Lily replied.   
  
"You said what?" James asked, refusing to believe what his ears were telling him.   
  
"I said yes," Lily repeated. The smile was beginning to wear off her face.   
  
"I can't believe you!" James exclaimed. Lily stared at him.   
  
"What's your problem, James?" she asked. "I can date whoever I want. What exactly did you think was going to happen when we broke up? That you'd be allowed date but I wouldn't? News flash James!" she hissed. "That's not how it works and you know it. Get over your jealousy and get over me! It'll be for the best because we're NOT getting back together!" She gathered up her books and bits of parchment and stormed out of the library, letting James there, to stare after her, shell-shocked.   
  
So Lily didn't talk to James for the remainder of the week to the ball. Any preparations that needed to be finished for the ball went from Lily to Dumbledore to James. Staying friends with exes had never been a talent Lily had mastered. She had tried, several times, but it had never worked out. It was like some unwritten rule or something, that you couldn't remain friends with people you had gone out with. James was proving to be harder than anyone else to remain friends with. She wanted to but they fought more as friends than they did as boyfriend and girlfriend so there wasn't much point now was there? No matter how much each of them wanted it, it was just asking the impossible!   
  
Author's note: Sob! I've got REALLY bad writer's block! It's sooooooooo horrible! Horrible I tell you. Maybe it's from my lack of reviews! (hint, hint!) Ah well no matter. I just hope I get rid of it in time for the next chapter which just happens to be the ball chapter! So anyways review and keep me happy! 


	15. default chapter (once AGAIN!!!)

Author's note: I've still got writers block I think but I'm writing this chapter anyway because I want to. Does that make sense? Cos I talk such a load of bullshit that at this stage I'm not sure what makes sense and what doesn't anymore! Anyway I'm BEGGING you guys to review. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE review!!!! I will love you forever and I'll read any fic you want me to and I'll review it just PLEASE review mine. *Gives everyone puppy dog eyes*  
  
Disclaimer: I'd LOVE if all this was mine, I really would. But it's not. It's J.K. Rowling's. Well except for people like Shannon and Alyson and Tara and Phoebe and those kinds of people.   
  
Lily applied the last of her make-up and sighed. She looked perfect, she truly did. Even she could see that. The ball was, also, going to be perfect. She and James had made sure of that. James. His name ran through her head like a train that just refused to stop. There was no hiding it. He was who she really wanted to go with. Jake was sweet, of course, but he was no James. She sighed again and looked in the full-length mirror in front of her. Her reflection stared back at her. She was wearing a long, white dress, held up with silver spaghetti straps, that ran down to about her mid-back where the back of her dress began. A simple Lily was tucked behind her right ear to match the one around her wrist. Lily sighed again and sank onto the ground. The dress rippled out around her. She stood up quickly as someone knocked on the door.   
  
"Come in," she called. A dark-haired boy stuck his head around the door. It was James. Lily stared at him and he stared back.   
  
"Lily I'm sorry," he started. "Of course you have the right to go to the ball with anyone you want. I was just jealous." Lily nodded. "And I have good reason to be!" he added. "Look at you. You look gorgeous."   
  
"Thanks," she whispered, looking at herself in the mirror again.   
  
"I better go again," James said. "I suppose you'll be wanting to go and meet your date." He turned to go.   
  
"James wait," Lily said, sounding panicky. He turned to face her again and she walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her. She pressed her lips against his and was relieved to find him responding to her kiss. THIS was what she wanted. She almost broke down and collapsed in tears when she realized that having it was just not possible. They broke apart and James smiled at her. She smiled back. "I shouldn't have done that," she said, smiling, although she had to pause to wipe away a stray tear.   
  
"I'm glad you did," he responded. And with that he was gone with a bang of the door. It was only minutes later when Phoebe, Tara and Alyson poured in, giggling wildly, from their trip to the head girl and boy's bathroom, to which Lily had given them the password.   
  
"Lil, you look gorgeous," complimented Alyson, smiling at her.   
  
"So do you," she replied, if a bit quietly. "And you two," she said, turning to Phoebe and Tara. They did look gorgeous. Alyson was looking the most colourful Lily had ever seen. She was wearing a dark red dress, which complimented her dark hair and eyes to perfection. It had a strip of red lace as the off the shoulder strap and the rest was made of velvet. It clung to her body like a second skin until it reached her hip- bone where it flowed out around her. Her hair had been swept into an elegant twist with multicolored butterfly clips here and there.   
Tara was wearing a fabulous blue dress. It was exceptionally unusual as it glinted in the light and never seemed to stay the same colour for very long, a lot like Tara's eyes to tell the truth. Held up with spaghetti straps that continued onto her back and criss-crossed all the way down, Lily felt that Remus would most likely pass out when he say her. Her hair, beautiful and straight as per usual, had two parts at the front pulled back with tiny clips that seemed to sparkle and glow.   
But it was Phoebe who outdid them both. She had on a pink dress with two different parts to it. The top part was bright pink, a very Phoebeish colour. It was sleeveless with a square sort of neck. The bottom was a much lighter pink that looked floaty and light. (A/N Think Bianca's prom dress from Ten things I hate about you!) Her blonde hair had been properly straightened and hung, attractively to JUST below her shoulders. She had even managed to add a couple of inches to her height by wearing high-heeled, chunky black sandals. Lily was surprised she could even walk in them. They must have been about seven or eight inches, a bit higher than her usual platforms.   
  
"Absolutely gorgeous," Lily repeated, smiling, if a little fakely.   
  
"Come on already!" prompted Phoebe. "We want to get there on time not three hours into the thing." The four walked there together, linking arms. Lily sighed for the last time that evening, as she had already resolved. She was determined to have a good time that night. She had to!   
  
"Oh my God, Lil! The hall looks gorgeous!" exclaimed Tara, looking around in wonder. Towering Christmas trees stood in all four corners of the hall and were glowing with fairy lights (real fairies), which were the only source of light, along with the ones twinkling all over the ceiling. Sprigs of mistletoe hung all over the ceiling in between the hundreds of tiny fairies. The tables had been cleared out of the hall except for the teacher's table, which had been positioned at the side. A stage had been set up at the top of the hall and a band was setting up their instruments on it.   
  
"Yea, Lil, it really does," agreed Alyson.   
  
"You and James did a great job!" Phoebe commented.   
  
"Yea, Lil," Sirius said, coming up behind the girls. "It looks fabulous. Just like you beautiful ladies." The girls smiled. "You want to dance, Phoebs?" he asked, resting his hands on her waist. She nodded and nuzzled his face like a dog. He took her hand, keeping one hand firmly on her lower back. Her, er, VERY lower back. Lily rolled her eyes as they headed off towards the floor.   
  
"Hey Lily." Jake appeared behind her. Lily spun around.   
  
"Hi Jake," she replied, smiling easily. He looked pretty good. No-where near as good as James of course Lily thought, letting her eyes swing over to where he was standing with Lucy. "STOP comparing Jake and James! It's not Jake's fault he's not James!" she scolded herself. James caught her eye and smiled. She smiled back and waved a little before turning her full attention to Jake, who had just kissed her, lightly, on the cheek.   
Dumbledore got up on the stage, smiling.   
  
"Welcome to the Christmas ball of `77," he began. A flurry of clapping, cheering and an amazingly loud whistle that could ONLY have been Sirius, interrupted his next words. "This whole thing was organized by our head students James Potter and Lily Evans." More unruly, loud clapping followed this nugget of information. "So without further ado I'd like to ask our head students and their partners to dance the first dance. Lily led Jake onto the dance floor and found that James was already there with Lucy. She smiled weakly at him as he winked at her. The band struck up a tune from the sixties called "Save me" and Lily wrapped her arms around Jake's neck. She wasn't in the mood for this. It just didn't feel right to her. She closed her eyes, just about preventing herself from sighing, yet again, but, truth be told, she had never been so relieved as she was when the band played the final note of the song.   
Jake, however, was a different story altogether. He was mad to dance so Lily stuck with him through "It's in his kiss" "Bobby's girl" "My guy" "Silence is golden" and several others. Sirius captured her for "Sugar, sugar" and "Sweets for my sweet" but after that she was determined to sit down and not dance for the rest of the night. Maybe she could invent a headache, apologize profusely to Jake and skip the second half of the dance? She pondered it as she half watched James dance with Lucy. He said something and Lucy laughed and laid her head on his chest. BIG headache Lily decided, turning away. Jake sat down next to her and handed her a goblet of pumpkin juice.   
  
"Do you want to dance again?" he asked her. She shook her head.   
  
"No thanks, Jake. I have a headache," she lied, catching his hurt look. A petite, blond Hufflepuff approached asking Jake for a dance.   
  
"Do you mind Lily?" he asked, pleadingly.   
  
"Not at all," she told him, running a finger around the rim of her goblet. "Have fun." He disappeared into the crowd and that was the last Lily saw of him all night. She couldn't say she wasn't relieved. She propped her legs up on the seat next to her. "What a load of crap!" she thought to herself. "I can't believe I half organized this piece of crap," she mumbled. Everyone else seemed to be having fun, though.   
  
"Dance?" James appeared in front of Lily as one of her favorite songs (leader of the pack) was struck up, holding out his hand to her. Lily smiled at him and took his hand.   
  
"Why not?" she said. "After all," she told her inner self. "It's only one dance. What harm could it do?" Ignoring the warning signals flashing all over her brain she stepped onto the dance floor with James. His touch comforted her and when she laid her head on his shoulder she felt as if she had found a piece of herself that had been missing her whole life. She shivered, slightly, as he ran his fingers up and down her back. He pulled her closer. Lily felt tears prick behind her eyes. Why did this have to be happening to her? It just wasn't fair! It was more than any normal 17 year old should have to put up with. The song ended but neither Lily nor James let go of the other right away. Eventually Lily stepped away from him, mumbling something about having to go away that minute.   
  
Lily walked around the hall, aimlessly, talking to various people who were exclaiming about how "far out" this dance was but mainly she was just avoiding James. She had a brief encounter with Shannon, who looked absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous. She looked as good, no BETTER than her former self. She was at the dance with some Ravenclaw guy.   
  
"He's great!" she had proclaimed, joyfully. "I'm mad about him! I think I'm finally getting over James!" she had confided in Lily.   
  
"That's great, Shan," Lily had said. "Because I'm having a lot of trouble with that!" she added, silently, to herself.   
  
The night seemed to just drag on and on for James. Sure people seemed to be enjoying it but it was never ending for him. Lucy was boring and the girl he really and truly wanted to be with that night was no-where to be seen. He had sort of taken to avoiding Lucy. He set off to find Lily. Except she was no-where to be seen. He sighed and decided to go out or some air. Damn this anyway! He grabbed a bottle of butterbeer and wandered outside, eyes roaming around the room one last time before he did. Sirius and Phoebe were dancing, haphazardly, more than a little drunk and he spotted Tara and Remus, sitting down. Well Remus was sitting down and Tara was perched on his lap, kissing his neck, gently.   
  
James crouched down by the lake and took a sip of his drink. From the other side he could hear light sobbing. A flash of white sitting on the grassy bank caught his eye and he made his way over to it. It was Lily. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.   
  
"Lils," he said, setting down his drink and gathering her up in his arms to hug her. "Hey," he said. "Sssshhh. It'll be ok. What's wrong, baby?"   
  
"Oh James." She clung to him. "Their dead. Gone forever. I didn't even get to say goodbye!" She began to sob quietly again.   
  
"Who's dead, baby?" he asked.   
  
"My parents," she wailed. "Dead! V-V-Voldemort did it and its all my fault!" she choked out. James pulled her onto his lap and closed his eyes.   
  
"Sssshhh, Lils, it'll be ok. I promise. And it's not you're fault," he soothed her.   
  
"If I hadn't been a stupid witch they would never have been killed. It's all my fault!" Her shoulders heaved. "My fault," she murmured.  
  
"No it's not, Lily, do you hear me?" He held her at arms length and looked her in the eye. It's not your fault." She nodded. She cried harder and began to choke and splutter. James grabbed his drink and handed it to her. She took a sip. The mildly alcoholic drink calmed her down a bit. She cried, letting tears slip down her cheeks and onto her dress until she eventually passed out from exhaustion and being upset. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her up to her dorm, where the other three were sitting on Alyson's bed, comparing notes on the dance. Alyson was laughing joyfully and nodding when he burst in. All three jumped up, still wearing their dresses.   
  
"Oh my God, what happened?" Phoebe exclaimed.   
  
"Voldemort killed her parents," James explained, grimly. Alyson gasped and her hand flew up to her mouth, Phoebe stared at James in wide-eyed shock and Tara began to cry, quietly.   
  
"They were so nice," she whispered. "They definitely didn't deserve it!" She ran over to Lily's bed, where James had lain her and hugged the slumbering body of her friend. "Poor thing!" she said, tears still rolling down her face. James stood, awkwardly, looking at Lily. He hugged Tara, comfortingly. She sniffed. "Poor Lily," she muttered again.   
  
"James go and get some sleep," Alyson told him. "We'll look after her." James didn't look convinced but eventually agreed. "Hey she'll be ok eventually James," Alyson said, softly, kissing him on the cheek in a sisterly way. "I promise," she said. He nodded and hugged both her and Phoebe before leaving. Tara was sitting at the edge of Lily's bed, stroking her hair.   
  
"I'll call back in the morning to check up on her," he said, before walking out again, dis-spirited.   
  
Lily woke up the next morning, a heavy feeling surrounding her. In a flash everything from last night flooded back into her. The letter informing her of her parents deaths, James' comforting words, everything. She could even vaguely remember her friends' reactions even though she had been conked out. Lily looked down at her dress and looped her arms around her legs. She let a single tear flow down her cheek. The girls who had woken up just before her rushed to her side.   
  
"I'm so sorry, Lil."  
  
"Are you ok, petal?"   
  
"I know it hurts now, Lil, but, I promise, you'll be fine." Lily nodded to all their comforting comments and they exchanged glances. There was a knock at the door and James walked in. Lily got up and walked over to him. He looped his arms around her waist and drew her close to him. He whispered something into her ear and she nodded. Alyson, Tara and Phoebe exchanged glances again. It looked like James was the only one who could comfort Lily right now.   
  
Lily lay on a couch with her head on James' lap, sniffling, quietly. He was twirling strands of her hair around his finger.   
  
"Are you ok, petal?" James asked. Lily looked up at him. Her cheeks were red and slightly swollen and her eyes were very noticeably red-rimmed. She shook her head but didn't begin to cry again.   
  
"Why did it have to be them, James?" she asked, sitting up abruptly. "What could they have possibly done to deserve this? It's not fair." She sniffed, angrily, and wiped away the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.  
  
"I don't know, darling. I don't know," he answered, sadly. He kissed her forehead. "Most of the time Voldemort doesn't have to have a reason," he told her. "He kills muggles for the fun of it."   
  
"Well if I ever come face to face with him I'll kill him," Lily said. "I will. I won't waste time with wands. I'll kill him with my bare hands!" She struggled in James' arms before breaking down again.   
  
"When's the funeral, Lil?" James asked her, softly.   
  
"Day after tomorrow," she replied, calming down just a bit. "I don't know if I can do it, James. It'll make it seem so much more real."   
  
"It's you're choice, baby but you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't go." Lily took it in and nodded.   
  
"Will you come with me?" she whispered.   
  
"Of course I will," he replied. Lily's shoulders sagged, with relief. She snuggled into James' chest and closed her eyes.   
  
So that was how James found himself at Lily's parent's funeral, with Lily clutching his hand so hard that her knuckles had gone white. She had been asked by a couple of her mother's sisters to make a speech. James watched as she got up and began to read the speech she had spent the whole day the day before preparing. James' heart could have broke for her as she began to sob and her shoulders began to heave somewhere halfway through it. The old ladies sitting in the front pew of the church clutched their hands to their hearts, crying for "the poor little Evans girl who had lost her parents so tragically!" Lily made her way back to James, grasping her little piece of paper in her hand, letting silent tears cascade down her cheeks, like a waterfall. James circled her with his arm and let her cry into his shoulder as the ceremony came to an end.   
  
Weeks past and Lily was still getting over the deaths of the two people she had loved most in the world. Her friends were very worried about her. It had been weeks since Lily had last laughed or even smiled. She had cried herself to sleep ever night up until a half a week to a week ago. She didn't bother with her appearance anymore and she lived by anorexic people's number one rule in life: Eat to live; don't live to eat. So it was a relief to all of her friends when she came down to breakfast one day after making a bit of an effort with her hair. Half of it was pulled back into a little ponytail, and secured with a clip shaped like a lily, with little tendrils escaping to frame her face. Her robes, which for the past month or so had been rumpled and worn looking, were back to being impeccable. She smiled a small smile as she sat down in between Phoebe and James and filled her plate with waffles. Her friends smiled, half in happiness that she was overcoming her grief and half in relief. That day Lily made a breakthrough - she laughed at Sirius' joke and made a comeback of her own.   
  
"Lily?" Phoebe whispered to her that night.   
  
"Yea Phoebs?" she asked, staring up at the pitch black above her.   
  
"Are you ok?" she asked. There was a long pause.   
  
"Yea, Phoebe, I am. I'm just fine." 


	16. Default chapter (Glad SOMEONE likes thes...

Author's note: Hey you guys. Thanks for the reviews! I love you ESPECIALLY Ruby prev. devils 'lil' angel (whose idea I'm using in this chapter. Thanks SOOOO much for that by the way!!! Kisses to you!) who has reviewed me a couple of times to give me ideas and told me how much she likes my story. *Smiles sweetly* Actually I've decided that I'm dedicating this chapter to you!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine!!! Everything else is INCLUDING the plot which seems to be going to shit at the moment cos of my yucky writers block but no matter!  
  
"I can't believe we're leaving in two weeks!" Alyson wailed.   
  
"I know!" Tara joined in. "This place is like a second home to me. I'm gonna miss it so much!!!"   
  
"Oh shut-up you two sentimental old biddies!" Phoebe told them, beginning to giggle. Alyson and Tara made faces at her and exchanged a glance before launching themselves on top of her, tickling her, until she was squirming and begging for mercy. Lily watched on, laughing at their antics. She agreed with Tara and Alyson, though. She may not have been here for as long as the others but she had grown to love it just as much as them. It was so warm and comforting and so SAFE! She would miss it. She pushed the thought of how in just a little under two weeks she would be out in the big, bad world all alone with no support, seeing as Petunia most certainly wouldn't give it to her to the back of her head and jumped in on top of her friends.   
  
James watched the girls from the Astronomy tower. Lily was so much better than she had been a mere 6 months ago. It was amazing what a difference half a year could make to a person's life! He was still madly in love with Lily, even more so than before if that was possible. The pair had spent so much time together during Lily's grieving and even after it. She truly relied on him and he truly wanted to protect her. If only she would get back with him his life would be close to perfect! He ran a hand through his, already messy, raven coloured hair. He really would have to sort that out.  
  
"Lily?" James hissed. "Lily?" Lily, who had been walking along the corridor with her friends, giggling, with clumps of dirt hanging off their robes. Lily glanced in James' direction and waved, happily, to him. Telling her friends she'd talk to them later, she ran over to him and went to peck him on the cheek but he diverted the kiss to his lips. She drew away, giggling.  
  
"Whoops," she said.  
  
"Whoops is right," James murmured. He pulled her into an empty classroom. "We need to talk," he told her.   
  
"Ok," she said, hopping onto one of the desks. "What do we need to talk about?" she asked him, after examining her fingernail, which was painted a frosted blue colour.   
  
"Us," he said, grimly. "You and me. Our relationship. What's going to happen between us, Lil? Are we ever going to get back together or do you just say that to keep me happy?" Lily recoiled at the harshness of James' tone. Her eyes welled up with tears that she refused to let fall.   
  
"James, what about Shannon?" she whispered. "She's my cousin and she means so much to me!"   
  
"Shannon will be fine!" he snapped. "Think about it. She's dating a Ravenclaw. She will be fine!" he repeated.   
  
"I know Shannon better than anyone, James," Lily said, quietly. "She may SAY she's over you and she may ACT as if she's over you but in truth she's not. I know that and she knows that but she's too stubborn to admit it."   
  
"Hey, Lily, I may love you and all but you can't seriously expect me to wait around for you forever?"   
  
"James, why are you PUSHING me?" Lily asked. "It's my choice when I want to get back with you. And if I say Shannon isn't over you then Shannon is NOT over you." She stuck her chin in the air, stubbornly.   
  
"So I have no say in the matter?" he asked. Lily said nothing so James stormed out, not noticing the petite blond crouched down by the door.   
  
Shannon twirled down the hallway, humming tunelessly. She couldn't wait to find Lily and talk to her. She was in love! Well maybe not in love, she corrected herself, but in VERY deep like with Tony, a guy from Ravenclaw. Not the guy she had taken to the ball but his best friend. Shannon heard voices in a classroom and stopped, briefly. They people talking sounded very much like Lily and James. Shannon crouched down by the door and peered in. Sure enough Lily and James were inside. Lily was perched on a desk and James was standing in front of her, running his hands through his hair, like he always had when he was frustrated.   
  
"I know Shannon better than anyone, James," Lily was saying. "She may SAY she's over you and she may ACT like she's over you but in truth she's not. I know that and she knows that but she's too stubborn to admit it." Shannon waited for James' reply.   
  
"Hey, Lily, I may love you and all but you can't seriously expect me to wait around for you forever?" Shannon blanched. They had broken up because of her? She would KILL Lily when she spoke to her. KILL her. What the hell was that girl on about anyway? She was talking pure rubbish. Shannon heard a silence and could sense a finished tone. She drew back, as she heard James; footsteps come towards the door, and hoped he wouldn't see her. He didn't. He stormed off in the opposite direction. Shannon stood up and wiped a couple of flecks of dust off her skirt. She rolled her eyes. She and Lily needed to have a big chat. She rounded the corner into the classroom where Lily was still sitting on the desk, her head in her hands, looking as if she were about to cry any minute. Shannon cleared her throat and Lily looked up. On seeing Shannon she immediately pasted a smile on her face that, normally, Shannon wouldn't have seen through. But today was different.   
  
"Lily wipe the look off your face," she told her elder cousin. "I heard the whole conversation." Lily's face, physically drooped and Shannon instantly felt sorry for the older girl, who was usually so balanced. "Lily what the hell do you think you're playing at? You know as well as I do that I'm over James. Why are you using me as a cover?"   
  
"I'm NOT!" Lily replied sounding outraged. "I thought you still weren't over James." She tried to look sincere but failed miserably.  
  
"Lily I told you at the Christmas ball that I was over him. Since when do I lie to you?" she demanded. "Now tell me what's up or I'll force it out of you." She glared at Lily.   
  
"Ok." Lily sighed eventually. "I'll tell you. I love James, right?" she told Shannon who had slipped into a chair behind the desk Lily was sitting on. Lily looked down at her feet. "I love him so much that it hurts me but I KNOW that if I get back with him and something happens him, like it happened Mum and Dad, I'd DIE, Shan, I truly would. I love James more than anything else in this world…"  
  
"Except me of course," Shannon interrupted, trying to lighten the atmosphere a bit. Lily grinned.  
  
"Except you," she agreed. "Anyway I love him so much and if anything happened him I wouldn't be able to go through all that pain of losing him."   
  
"Lily, I may not be the best person to be giving you this advice but it seems pretty simple to me." Shannon paused, wondering whether to go on or not. Lily nodded, encouragingly. "Well, Lily, if you let that stand between you you're an ass. If you don't do something about that argument the two of you just had you're going to lose him as it is. Wouldn't that hurt a lot more? Knowing that you could have had him but gave it all up for a silly fear you have?" Lily nodded, slowly. "Lily isn't it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?" Lily nodded again. "You and James would be brilliant together! You know that just as well as I do! So get over your fear and go tell him how you really feel!" Lily stared at her hands before looking up at Shannon and smiling.   
  
"You're right," she said to her cousin. "You're absolutely right." There was a pause in the conversation. "Hey did anyone ever tell you that you should be a psychologist?" Lily exclaimed.   
  
"It's all the self help classes I went through," Shannon explained, nodding. "They turned me into a looney who has an explanation for everything!" The girls laughed. "Oh and, hey, Lily you breaking up with James because of me? What was THAT about, huh?" she demanded. "I would have lived!"   
  
"Barely," Lily mumbled. Shannon rolled her eyes, melodramatically.   
  
"Anyway that's all forgotten now!" She linked Lily's arm in hers' and pulled her out the door. "I wanted to talk to you about Tony, the Ravenclaw I'm seeing. Lils, I am so in like with him!" Her voice trailed away as they rounded the corner, laughing.   
  
Author's note: Hey that turned out better than I expected!!! Thanks a million for the idea Ruby prev. devils 'lil' angel!!!!! You're a saint!!! Anyway next chapter is the last one. The one you guys have all been waiting for and begging me to hurry up and write!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: YESSSS!!!!! I'm nearly rid of these stupid things!!!. So for the second or third last time *jumps in the air to celebrate!* NOTHING you recognize is mine. I'm NOT using J.K. Rowling's characters to make money or any of that other crap. People like Phoebe, Tara and Alyson are all mine!! And so is the plot, which is taking a turn for the better!!!!! 


	17. Default chapter (LAST default chapter. S...

Author's note: Here it is. The chapter you've all been waiting for!!!! You guys better hope my fingers do it good!!! *Groans* that sounded MUCH too kinky for my liking! Anyway: enjoy!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Last one!!!! Yahoo get the balloons. Lets celebrate!!!! Lalalalala. Nothing you recognize I mine. Lalalala. Everything else is. Lalalala. Including the plot!!!!!! There - done!!! ON with the story!  
  
"This is it, you guys!" exclaimed Tara. "Our last day ever." The four girls were lined up in front of the mirror in their Graduation robes and those stupid hats that were traditional, even in the wizarding world. She took one look at the other three and burst into noisy tears. "I can't believe it!" she sobbed. "No more Transfig. or charms or potions or ANYTHING, no more detentions, no more making out by the lake, no more carefree days laughing at the Marauder's pranks…" She trailed off, crying so hard that she couldn't continue and at this stage, the rest of her friends had joined her, even Phoebe. There was a knock at the door and the Marauders burst in, without even waiting for an answer. James looked, awkwardly, at Lily who was still crying along with the rest of her friends. They still hadn't made up after James had stormed out of the classroom that night. Did she not love him anymore or what?  
  
"Awww, jeez, would you look? They're gone all emotional on us!" Sirius proclaimed. Phoebe threw a soggy tissue at him.   
  
"Could you be serious for ONCE in you're life?" she demanded. "This is it - our last day EVER. We'll NEVER be coming back. There'll be no more Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs anymore!" She glared at the boy, who was looking quite thoughtful, for a change. He grinned, suddenly.   
  
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs will live on forever in this school and within us!" he declared. "And by the way, Phoebs, I'm ALWAYS Sirius," he told Phoebe. "It is my name!"  
  
"SIRUS!" all four girls exclaimed. Alyson picked up the box of tissues that was sitting in the middle of them and threw it at Sirius' head.  
  
"Come on, guys, let's go before I get SIRIUSLY hurt!" He grinned and ducked so that the four squelchy tissues that were thrown at him, after his comment, passed over him and hit Peter square in the face.   
  
One by one the students were called up to collect their diplomas.   
  
"I bet Sirius doesn't graduate!" Phoebe said, grinning, but she was proved wrong. He did and grinned like crazy as he went up to collect his diploma. He threw his hat into the air, causing the rest of the student body to burst into laughter and tears at the same time. After Hogwarts there'd be no more Sirius to amuse them!   
  
"Not yet, Mr. Black," Dumbledore told him, a grin tugging at his lips. "That part doesn't come 'til later." His eyes twinkled as Sirius shrugged and jumped off the stage to retrieve his hat.   
  
Once all the diplomas had been given out Lily and James were called up to give their head girl and boy speeches. Lily felt an army of butterflies rise in her stomach. This was it! James went first, reminiscing about little things like the time the Marauders had put a spell on the teachers, one Halloween, so that at midnight they all turned into pumpkins. Little things like that, each one sillier than the last, which caused the rest of the students to double up with laughter as they remembered them. James handed the microphone over to Lily. Their fingers brushed against each other and they found their eyes locked. Lily smiled at James who was on the verge of smiling back when she snapped out of it.   
  
"Um," she began. "I have so much to say! I came to this school only two years ago, expecting it to be just like any other normal school. However, I got a lot, er, LOT more than I bargained for." She raised her eyebrows. "I made friends with a crazy bunch of girls and four guys who went by the name of the Marauders. They way they acted and spoke changed me from the wild, uncaring girl I was back then to the, slightly, tamer girl who stands here in front of you today. Switching schools may have been hard for some people but not me. No way. The minute I walked into my dorm Phoebe, Tara and Alyson made me feel welcome. They stood by me through everything. The Marauders were, believe it or not, my first guy friends. Before I met them I had flitted from one guy to the next, not actually thinking of them as real human beings. The Marauders taught me that guys and girls can be JUST as good friends as girls. I would truly consider the guys three of my best friends." Three? A buzz of chatter flew around the great hall. Wasn't there four Marauders? Lily waited for the chatter to die down before she began to speak again. Out of the corner of her eye she could see James looking at her, curiously. "Yes," Lily told them "Three and no I didn't forget little Petie in the corner!" The students laughed. Peter just chuckled and saluted her. She winked back. "Um one of these guys is just a little more special to me."  
  
"No fair, Lils," Sirius called from the crowd. "You can't pick favorites!" Even Lily joined in the laughter this time around.   
  
"Um, anyway, I never expected to be elected Head girl! My parents were so proud of me and I'm sure if they were alive right now they'd still be proud of me. Anyway back to the Marauders…"  
  
"Yay! Back to us!" Sirius called.   
  
"The reason one of these guys means a little more to me is because I am head over heels in love with him." She looked at James. "He helped me through everything difficult in my life, my parents horrific deaths in particular. He was always there for me and refused to let go of me even when I told him we had to break up. He never gave up on me and stuck by me up to two weeks ago when I, stupidly and not so kindly, told him where he could shove "us." All because of my stupid fear of hurt and pain. This guy means more to me than anything and I almost lost him because of my childish fear. With a little help from a little birdie I came to realize that losing him this way would be much, much more painful than any other way so together this birdie and I devised a plan. A plan to tell him how much I love him and to explain why exactly I had been a cold-hearted bitch ("Sorry Professor!") to him when all he wanted was to be by my side because of his love for me. And I just want to tell you, James, that I love you so much, as much as you, no wait more, than you love me and I'm just hoping that you'll take me back and forget about my stupidity?" She looked at James, hopefully, as did the rest of the students, who were on the edges of their seats, Phoebe, Tara, Alyson and the Marauders in particular. Even Sirius was looking serious at that moment. James surveyed the crowd and then looked at Lily. He melted at the look in her eyes.   
  
"How could I not forgive you after that?" he asked, smiling at the girl, whom he loved more than life itself. She grinned back at him, as the students burst into applause and cheers. James pulled Lily close to him and smiled at her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him to her. All at once her lips were on his and they were sharing the most passionate and heart-pounding kiss they had ever shared. The passion in the kiss increased as the students all threw their hats into the air, bar Sirius of course, who didn't realize that it was actually now he was supposed to do it. And as Lily and James' tongues danced and they fell to the floor, in the heat of the moment, one lone hat flew into the air. Sirius!  
  
Author's note: Right that's it! THAT was what you've all been waiting for. Does it live up to your expectations? I certainly hope so or else I've totally tired myself out for nothing!!!  
  
Millions of thanks and hugs and kisses to the following people who reviewed:   
  
Chocolatkiss (AWWWWWWWW!!!! That's so sweet. I'm glad my story had that effect on you!!!)  
  
Destiny136 (Thanks for reviewing. Hope you like it)  
  
Ruby prev. devils 'lil' angel (There their together now!!!!!!)  
  
Red (you like my story that much??? Hope you enjoyed this)  
  
Ruby prev. devils 'lil' angel (Hey you deserve some credit! You helped with this!)  
  
Jersey ( I think my writer's block DID go away. I'm not SURE though!)  
  
Someone who left me no name to thank them with (Thanks!)  
  
Darling Lily Evans (I'm glad you're in love with this story. I'm a bit in love with it too!!!)  
  
Destiny (Hope you liked!)  
  
Princess pixie ice (I don't have a sensible side either!!! Lily does though so she's decided to use it. What is it? I'm not sure but it sounded impressive!)  
  
Bella Black ( Yea I know Lil was a bit too perfect. I tried to tone her down a bit. Did it work? LOVE you're story "Escape" Update soon. I'm DYING to read more!!!)  
  
Sally (Best story ever? Awww I'm touched! AND I'm on your favorites? Now that brings a tear to my eye! *wipes away tear that the really sweet author provoked!*)  
  
Someone else with no name (glad you like it!)  
  
Libella (your so sweet! Thanks for the review!!!)  
  
Shadow Lily (Your JUST as sweet as Libella. Kisses to you!)  
  
Pinkstargummii (LOVE the name!!! Writers block sucks!!!)  
  
Panaginip02 (Glad you think so!!!)  
  
Soccergirl (You got your plea! Did you like?)  
  
Dark angel (Thank you. Just thank you!!!)  
  
Lillians (Thanks for the review. You're wish was my command. Hope you liked it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  
  
Lexie (thanks for the review. I'm going to read your fanfic. Just as soon as I post this!!!)  
  
Harryett (Thank you!)  
  
Wishing star (Here you have it! All updated and finished. Hope you like it!!)  
  
Hermione Potter (Glad you think so! Thanks for sharing!)  
  
Karly (Glad you like it. Yea I think Texas is pretty cool!)  
  
Quinn (Thanks! I love YOU!!! - in a strictly non-lesbian way of course!!!)  
  
Pickle princess (Sorry James cheated on Shannon just a bit!!! Yea I know Texans rock I'm not making fun of them in the slightest. I have Texan cousins. I wouldn't do that!)  
  
Unshed tears ( soft spot? Lily? Yes! A BIGGG one!!!)  
  
To "A Texan" (I was NOT poking fun at it!!! I think its damn cool, ya hear? Thanks for the review.)  
  
Liz the laugh (good thing there was a lack in that relationship, eh? Or you probably wouldn't have kept looking it up! Hope you liked it!)  
  
Queenoftheworld (Glad you like it! Of COURSE Lily and James have to get together! I love them!)  
  
Mariana Chan (Lily WAS a major bitch. Now you know!)  
  
Kitty (YOU are very cool!!!)  
  
Jasminegurl (Sorry. I like Lily like that)  
  
Beth (Sirius IS an ass and I ADORE him for it. Actually I adore him anyway!)  
  
Well that's it, you guys!!!! Thanks a zillion for the reviews!!! I love ye!!! Hope ye review my next one as well!!! Hope ye enjoyed it! : ) 


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